Rush hour in Tokyo

Hi friends,
I'll be visiting Japan again soon. This time my group(2 couples) will be landing in Haneda on a Friday at 5.20 a.m. and will be taking the Keikyu Railway to Shinagawa to catch the JR Yamanote Line to Shinokubo. I know that the Yamanote Line will be extremely crowded during morning rush hour which I'm told is at its peak from 8.00-9.00 a.m. Will we be able to reach our destination before the rush hour begin? Each of us will have a large roller luggage. Will it be difficult to get on the train with this load at that time?

Yes, you should be in Shin-Okubo before the start of the rush. If you arrive at 5:20, I expect you to be on the train around 6:00 and in Shin-Okubo by 7:00 when the trains are still relatively calm.

Thanks for the assurance, Uji. Just hope there is no delay to our flight or immigration.

Even if there are delays, sometimes you can avoid the sardine-can effect at rush hour by boarding the first or last car. They tend to be furthest away from the stairs and escalators, therefore not as attractive to those who are always in a rush to get to work....