I was in Japan and I had to transfer from an express train to a local train. My app said I had 1 minute to make the transfer. The app also said I arrived at track 2, but the new train leaves from track 4. I was like, how can I make the transfer in one minute?  Normally I have to get off the train, leave track level, go to the new track and go back up to track level. To my surprise, when I arrived, they parked a waiting train on track 3 with all the doors open, creating a "train bridge" between tracks 2 and 4. Suffice it to say, I made my transfer.

Man I can't express how helpful the Yamanote Line has been for me to get around the city and meet friends and relatives, truly one of the most useful lines in the world.

I live in NYC, and I’ve visited Tokyo a few times.  Anytime NYC [MTA] says they can’t do something I always say, they do it in Tokyo… no excuse.  Tokyo, rail is one of the most efficient transportation systems I've ever experienced, and for the most part very punctual.

The largest and the greatest Rail system in the world. No other country moves as many people as efficiently while maintaining spotlessly clean stations and trains and a near perfect on time performance. Last week at the Japan Fest in Canada, my friends at the JR Central booth were impressed by how many Canadians reacted in amazement to the speed and on time performance of the Shinkansen alone - in Japan, such things are considered normal.

Thanks for posting this Reece.

Japan has THE BEST railway system in the world. Always on time, super clean, high tech, stations with a lot of amenities and more!

よくここまで調べあげたな…
日本人でもここまで分かりやすくまとめてくれる人はいないし、本当にこの投稿者さん凄いわ

7:39 "less frequent headways of 5-or-so minutes" bloody hell, that's so impressive.

This is honestly the video summarising all rail transit in Tokyo I've been waiting for. People so often overlook the private operators or smaller people movers/monorails that are essential in really understanding how the network operates. Great video!

It's such a shame Tokyo didn't get to host a proper Olympics, they would have done an excellent job of it, I hope they get given it again to show off their transit systems

私は日本人ですが、この動画は非常に良く作られています。これだけの情報を22分間でまとめるのは、日本人が日本語で説明するよりも難しいでしょう。それを英語で…まず、この量の情報を英語のサイトから見つけられるかどうかが疑わしいです。そして、仮にこの動画に出てくる全ての情報を見つけられたとしても、その過程にはかなりの無駄な情報が含まれることでしょう。日本人から見ても、各会社、各路線の最も必要な知識に絞って説明されています。一体どのようにして調べ上げたのか。素晴らしいの一言です。

2:57 【しゃぶしゃぶ屋駅】

Japan is literally the ultimate railfan and transit lover’s destination. Japan is literally in the top 3 places I wanna visit, along with Germany and the Netherlands, not just because I’m a railfan and transit lover, but I also think Japanese culture is one of the most fascinating cultures in the world with an unbelievable amount of history. I mean Tokyo’s rail system literally looks so confusing but it’s actually one of the most straightforward rail systems in the world. I mean the Japanese rail system literally gives all of the rail systems in the world a run for their money. It’s a system so complex yet so simple that I just have to experience

In fact, there is no Japanese who perfectly knows the huge train networks….

A major reason why we got the Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line was to essentially solve the issue of woefully overcrowded trains going from Saitama Prefecture to central Tokyo (by connecting to Tobu and Seibu lines) and between Tokyo and Yokohama. The south end of the Fukutoshin Line become the Tokyu Toyoko Line in Shibuya, creating a very convenient way to connect to central Yokohama itself.

By the way, you forgot to mention another regional rail company in your video: the Sagami Railway, better known at Sotetsu. Originally designed to serve communities west of Yokohama, in the last few years Sotetsu now runs a through train service on JR East Lines so Sotetsu trains can run to Shinjuku; they also plan to open in 2023 a link to the Tokyu rail network so Sotetsu trains can access other parts of central Tokyo.

Lived in Tokyo for half a year for work in 2018, I totally fell in love with their railway system. At first it's a bit overwhelming, but when you get it, it's awesome.
Always on time, always clean, you can go anywhere, stations are nice and fast to go through, it's rather cheap, people follow the rules, and the rails are nearly always on the surface to enjoy the city views...
I even got to the point where I was ok with the densely packed trains in rush hours, idk, it's part of the city charm in a way. You are here, squished in the middle of all those salary-mans, with a strong air-conditioning on, the cabin in a strange silence broken by nice station announcements while the train is softly rattling to your destination... Good memories (I must be weird saying that, I know).

The best ones are the lines going beyond the suburbs, where you are starting to go through more natural landscapes. There is often few people in the cabin, you can open the high windows, make yourself confortable and enjoy the travel. Especially in the morning or end of the afternoon where the sunlight enter directly the cabin, lovely.

Damn, I miss this, I should plan a travel to Japan so I would stop talking here like an old man ahahah!

The fact that LA could have gone done a similar route to Tokyo transit wise just breaks my heart

Just simply jawdropping, there really isn't any other transit network that's equal to Tokyo's.
There are countless networks which are great in their own right, but Tokyo is clearly the best.

My favourite lines of JR East.
1. Keihin-Tohoku Line.
2. Chuo Line (Rapid Service).
3. Sobu Line (Rapid Service).
4. Keiyo Line's Rapid Service.
5. Saikyo Line's Commuter Rapid Service.

As a Tokyo resident, I don’t look at the Yamanote line as a subway, but if you think about it, it’s completely a subway/rapid transit in North American standards.

I remember panicking, then being super amazed and relieved when I found out that I didn't have to leave my train at all when it ran all the way from Kamakura in the lower Yokohama area to Shibuya, all on the JR Shonan Shinjuku line. Now that is what a truly efficient and convenient rail service looks alike.