In our wanderings we came across the rail line and Yokohama Station. The interurban train was fast! Where a road crossed the tracks a horn would sound when a train was about to go through. Nobody attempted to  run or drive over the rails when they heard this sound. Two gates came crashing down and the train whistled through going like 200 miles and hour(at least that’s what it felt like.)

The station itself was something to behold. We observed it in rush hour. You know those videos of guys pushing passengers into the cars? Along the waiting area were ranged young men in uniforms and white gloves. When the train stopped and a few people got off (most of the huge crowd waiting was going to Tokyo) the people started getting on. This was what the uniformed guys were waiting for. When  the train whistled it’s intention to leave the men with the white gloves started pushing the last folks on board. There was no pandemonium the people being pushed had stoic looks and endured the pushing. The train couldn’t go until the doors completely closed so there were a few moments when the attendants got together and finished off their chores, pushing and squeezing the last of the travelers so the doors could close.

We were planning on going to Tokyo but not that day. Not that day…

-To be continued…