Station personnel trying to get a door closed
The weekday rush hour peaks are between 8am and 9am in the morning, and shortly after 5pm in the evening . Rush hours are most extreme in Tokyo, but can also be pretty heavy in Japan's other major cities.
Often during the morning rush hour, traffic on certain urban and suburban trains is so intense that passengers are pressed against each other so that they are unable to move. In railway stations, passenger streams have to be neatly organized by signs, lanes and station personnel in order to keep everything moving.
Unless you have the specific wish to experience a packed train ride, it is recommended to avoid the morning rush hours, in particular if you have luggage.
To experience Tokyo's most extreme rush hour congestion, take a ride in the hindmost car of the JR Saikyo Line from Akabane to Ikebukuro on a weekday morning between 8:15 and 8:45.
Other particularly crowded rail sections during the Tokyo morning rush hour include Ueno to Okachimachi (JR Yamanote and Keihin-Tohoku Lines), Nakano to Shinjuku (JR Chuo Line) and Kinshicho to Ryogoku (JR Sobu Line).
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