Nicholas’ Travel Abroad

            Many times during our trips in the subway it would have been nice to know how far underground we actually went, many times it felt like we burrowed deeper and deeper until we finally found our train.  With the space limitations in Tokyo it appears the city does not only reach to the sky, but also reaches toward the center of the earth.  These train stations were not just simple train stops with tracks and platforms; they are elaborate shopping centers with stores and restaurants.  Some of the Japan Rail stations were shopping malls with train stops hidden down corridors.  This had the possibility to make an already large subway system even more confusing.  Most of the time this was not the case, as in majority of common areas the signs were in English and quite helpful.  This combination of train station and mall is a smart decision because it places shops were people visit daily.  Not only does it dress up the train station but it also brings in money from busy commuters who do not have time to travel to the grocery store after work or see something they can’t live without on their way home.  With the amount of people using the trains it makes sense to provide other services and for these people to purchase besides a train ticket.