>one thing that struck me about the photos here is that almost all the people in them are looking at phones. This was a little crazy to me in the times I have visited, when I would get on the train and there was this eerie silence as almost every person was looking at their phone.
What do you expect them to do, stare at the wall? Phones are ubiquitous and people like to use them for reading books or manga or whatever while they're on their commute.
I kind of get the snark, but I'm also not sure of an alternative. Extreme population density of Tokyo likely owe a lot to acquired ignorance. No way our brains don't go total schezophrenic being highly social all day long inside the Yamanote loop.
There's no real alternative: you either stare at people's shoes, or the ceiling, or you stare at your phone. The trains are crowded so it's basically impossible (during those times of the day) to look anywhere else, and staring at people is rude. Looking out the window isn't practical either: the seats are facing inwards, and there's people on the other side blocking the opposite window.
You still have to look somewhere. Lots of people certainly do listen to music, judging by all the people wearing wireless earbuds I see, but if they're not staring at their phone, they're staring at their lap, or sleeping.
It's not quite this bad on uncrowded trains though. We're talking about the Yamanote line which is generally very crowded.
I'm sure there are alternatives since mass transit has been around since before phones. The belief that the only option is to stare at a screen is a little bit depressing actually. I am not saying I do not do similar things, what struck me was that most people did not seem to have any awareness of what was going on around them. I would observe people on the train and not once did anyone look up. I guess the world outside of the phone is a pretty boring place. /s
>I'm sure there are alternatives since mass transit has been around since before phones.
Japanese novels are sold in small, pocket sized volumes because this was the only way to properly read on the packed trains before the smartphone replaced them all. If you were on a train with a lot more students, you'd notice a lot of them studying with similarly small volumes.
>what struck me was that most people did not seem to have any awareness of what was going on around them.
Something about being in mind numbingly large crowds packed uncomfortably close (like, your face could potentially be in someone's armpit) makes you a bit numb to the crowds.
>I would observe people on the train and not once did anyone look up.
1) You could end up staring at other people. Big no-no. Rude to stare, rude to stare aimlessly, rude to just observe people. Especially because the seats face each other, so staring out at the window without also staring at a fellow passenger is rude. Ever see someone just kind of "sleeping" on the train the minute they get on? Yeah, that's most likely just to close their eyes so they don't end up staring at someone.
2) You could end up staring at something unpleasant. When the trains become packed, you will most likely just be staring at the back of someone's head. Or chest. Or armpit. Or if you're sitting down, you will most likely be staring at someone's pelvic area because the convention is to stand FACING the chair in front of you if you're standing in the middle of the car (I still find this so strange but oh well so goes convention).
3) Plenty of people who find spots at the doors do spend time looking out at the city. Because they can safely do so without inadvertently staring at someone.
4) At some point the entire experience becomes mundane. To you, a tourist, you are experiencing a unique moment. To commuters, it's another Tuesday on the Yamanote line -- they can probably sleepwalk their commute if need be.
Edit: I want to add one more thing, but people ARE aware. I dropped a 100-yen coin once on the way out of the train without realizing, and immediately someone ran up to me with the coin. I think a good way of thinking about the whole thing is that people are aware, but in a way that seems like they're not. But if you're ever on the train again, watch closely -- people are keeping close eyes on who gets up, who gets on, and who is leaving and accordingly makes room.
>Or if you're sitting down, you will most likely be staring at someone's pelvic area because the convention is to stand FACING the chair in front of you if you're standing in the middle of the car (I still find this so strange but oh well so goes convention).
I don't know exactly why the convention is this way, but imagine if it was the reverse: you'd have someone's butt in your face, and if they fart...
>I'm sure there are alternatives since mass transit has been around since before phones.
Of course: before phones became common, everyone read books on the trains. Why exactly is this depressing? Now, instead of reading manga in a physical book, they're reading manga on their phone.
>what struck me was that most people did not seem to have any awareness of what was going on around them. I would observe people on the train and not once did anyone look up.
When you're packed in a crowded train where most people are standing and there's barely enough room for everyone, "observing people" just isn't something you do. Most people aren't tall enough to see anything anyway.
What do you expect them to do, stare at the wall? Phones are ubiquitous and people like to use them for reading books or manga or whatever while they're on their commute.