One of the more enjoyable aspects of getting used to life in Japan, at least coming from California, is the train culture. Trains run everywhere here, and they’re very convenient to ride, especially in this era of always-on Internet connectivity through iPads and cell phones. While people living in J-List’s home prefecture of Gunma probably need a car to get around conveniently, it’s not difficult at all to live in Tokyo without one. The most famous train line in Japan is probably the Yamanote line (yama-no-teh, lit. “mountain’s hand”), the loop line that goes around the Tokyo area, which takes you to convenient places like Shinjuku, Shibuya and Akihabara and is almost the only train you need to go most places in the city. Since the train travels in an endless circle, you never reach the end of the line, and there are drinking games college students and gaijin play as they pass through each of the 29 stations. Today we got in some rather cool towels featuring the iconic signs of the Yamanote train line!
Pretty much the most convenient train line in Japan.
