Is Transportation Always a Hassle?

(There is a picture i want to put here, but it seems i lost my USB cable...)

So, i spent the weekend in Sapporo as a bit of an appetizer for the massive trek down to the mainland: Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka are all on the bill for my travels. It also served as a bit of a primer to Japan's amazing transportation system. It takes a bit of getting used to, but once you have the right map, getting around is a cinch.

In the subway and train stations there are bright updating displays and color coded trains and lines in such number that they basically beat your origin and destination into you with sheer persistence. Also, each platform tells you when a train is arriving or departing and where it is going. You could navigate these places with your eyes closed! Each subway station emits a sing-songy chime, alerting the blind (or, i suppose, those even rarer few who choose to walk with their eyes closed) that it is nearby.

Riding the buses, though, is when i really got the idea that there really seems to be more of a sense of standards here than in Canada. Or Winnipeg, at least. Every bus feels more like a charter bus with their cushy seats and smooth ride. Plus, every bus has an automated voice that tells you what the next stop is and makes sure to thank you for riding the bus when you press the stop request button.

This taste has only whetted my appetite. I think i'm ready for the ferry and for the shinkansen. Perhaps even the Nozomi...