352Kviews
The Horrors Of Tokyo Rush Hour Commute Captured By Michael Wolf
352Kviews
Tokyo-based German photographer Michael Wolf invites you to take a look at the Japanese capital through the eyes of the city's daily commuter. And as you're about to see, that sight is actually quite horrendous.
Michael first took notice of the incredibly crowded Tokyo's subways back in 1995, after the infamous sarin gas attacks on the city’s subway system. He then spent years going into the subway with his camera to capture people stuck in this claustrophobic nightmare of a commute.
The result is a series the photographer called "Tokyo Compression," and the artist had some harsh words while describing it: "These people are squeezed against the back walls as more and more people are shoveled in," he told CNN. "You're living life as a sardine -- it's horrific. This is not a dignified way of living. It's like looking into a ride in hell."
More info: Michael Wolf (h/t: huckmagazine, demilked)
Add New Image
About the author
Popular on Bored Panda
What do you think ?
The ugly truth: There are too many people on this earth.
Not necessarily, lots of space other places in the world. I mean if the alternative is to stop having kids, that seems kinda sad too
It's not just living space. Each person eats up so much environment just by eating (livestock, deforestation), traveling, contributing to waste, etc. I'm sure I could google an exact figure, but each additional person literally destroys potential living space just by existing.
Jeanne Deaux, there are actual cities, and "western-civilised" country-sides in many countries all over the 6 continents of the world, that have not such a big population density, where the streets get pretty deserted. Places that are fine and safe to live in, and where trees and grass have already been replaced by concrete. So, no need to be so drammatic.
@porcupine, you could argue that every person destroys potential living space, but that's not the only side to it. Everybody has the option to provide living space too :) I planted a tree today, and saved a deer that was stuck in mud. Without me, that's 2 life forms that would no longer exist.
2 kids max should do it. Japan actually has a declining population.
Yeah lot of places we can destroy by burning down the trees, killing every species living on it to put our egoistic asses...
I'm all for the 2 kids max rule. I'm in America but who are we kidding we don't have freedom here anyway. Also, I've studies child development and all research points to having 2 kids as the golden number. More than that is no bueno.
Actually it's because Tokyo is a city, other parts of japan is not overpopulated. Cities are usually densely populated
You can fit all the people on Earth into the state of Texas. The problem is over crowding in cities--let people spread out more.
As someone who's getting claustrophobic in certain situation, this would be living hell for me. Cooped with all those strangers, all the smells and everyone is touch the other, on purpose or not. I guess it might be different if you grew up with it or you are getting used to it, but here and now I think I would move somewhere else (if any possible).
Growing up with it is not much better, young girls are being groped and harassed on a daily basis.
"everyone is touching the other" - Sorry.
I'd prefer to walk 50 miles to work than be on those trains for a second. Horrible.
I'm with you. I couldn't live like this, no freaking way
This makes me feel sick. I can't imagine the stench of bad breath, BO, and bodily gases that must be a circulating stale stench in those trains. GROSS!
The one thing that is at once apparent is the accumulated moisture on all of the windows. There are literally so many packed in to each compartment that everyone's breath is transformed into an unhealthy mist that is everywhere. This is so unhealthy that it is a wonder there haven't been any serious health out-brakes we know about. Its a good thing they don't eat 'kimchi' in Japan. ;D
That's why some of them are wearing masks.
Japanese people are have amazing hygiene, I ride these trains 2 times a week and I'v had no issues with smells.
The ugly truth: There are too many people on this earth.
Not necessarily, lots of space other places in the world. I mean if the alternative is to stop having kids, that seems kinda sad too
It's not just living space. Each person eats up so much environment just by eating (livestock, deforestation), traveling, contributing to waste, etc. I'm sure I could google an exact figure, but each additional person literally destroys potential living space just by existing.
Jeanne Deaux, there are actual cities, and "western-civilised" country-sides in many countries all over the 6 continents of the world, that have not such a big population density, where the streets get pretty deserted. Places that are fine and safe to live in, and where trees and grass have already been replaced by concrete. So, no need to be so drammatic.
@porcupine, you could argue that every person destroys potential living space, but that's not the only side to it. Everybody has the option to provide living space too :) I planted a tree today, and saved a deer that was stuck in mud. Without me, that's 2 life forms that would no longer exist.
2 kids max should do it. Japan actually has a declining population.
Yeah lot of places we can destroy by burning down the trees, killing every species living on it to put our egoistic asses...
I'm all for the 2 kids max rule. I'm in America but who are we kidding we don't have freedom here anyway. Also, I've studies child development and all research points to having 2 kids as the golden number. More than that is no bueno.
Actually it's because Tokyo is a city, other parts of japan is not overpopulated. Cities are usually densely populated
You can fit all the people on Earth into the state of Texas. The problem is over crowding in cities--let people spread out more.
As someone who's getting claustrophobic in certain situation, this would be living hell for me. Cooped with all those strangers, all the smells and everyone is touch the other, on purpose or not. I guess it might be different if you grew up with it or you are getting used to it, but here and now I think I would move somewhere else (if any possible).
Growing up with it is not much better, young girls are being groped and harassed on a daily basis.
"everyone is touching the other" - Sorry.
I'd prefer to walk 50 miles to work than be on those trains for a second. Horrible.
I'm with you. I couldn't live like this, no freaking way
This makes me feel sick. I can't imagine the stench of bad breath, BO, and bodily gases that must be a circulating stale stench in those trains. GROSS!
The one thing that is at once apparent is the accumulated moisture on all of the windows. There are literally so many packed in to each compartment that everyone's breath is transformed into an unhealthy mist that is everywhere. This is so unhealthy that it is a wonder there haven't been any serious health out-brakes we know about. Its a good thing they don't eat 'kimchi' in Japan. ;D
That's why some of them are wearing masks.
Japanese people are have amazing hygiene, I ride these trains 2 times a week and I'v had no issues with smells.