In Kobe

Just got back from Kobe, using my semiannual eye checkup for an excuse to indulge in some urban ambiance for a couple of days. I was actually awake enough on my commute to the hospital to notice that they now have women-only cars during the rush hour periods. This is because so many women were being groped on crowded trains. On some trains the glass on the windows turns opaque when you shoot through a residential district, presumably to protect the privacy of apartment dwellers. Are we being too considerate here? As usual the Japanese were in orderly lines, 20 deep, waiting to file into the train when it stopped. This now seems normal to me, but It suddenly hit me that people in other countries probably don't do this. Suspended in a crowd of suits, headphones and paperbacks, I wondered how the masses were going to shoehorn onto the train. We stopped; the first 10 people boarded the; the rest waited patiently for the next train, which granted, would be along in about 3 minutes. I know that commuting everyday would be a nightmare, but this is the kind of stuff I miss living in the country. Along with American coffee: I spotted a Tully's across the pedestrian mall from the hotel. There was also a Starbucks nearby.