Trains in Tokyo leave every two minutes. Sometimes, there are trains literally straight after one another. In the last couple of months, I think the longest I've waited for a train is five minutes. So why do people, especially women in heels, run for the train?
I think it's a result of an overpopulated area; crowd psychology, accentuated by people being half-asleep on the commute. One person starts to slowly jog, the next person follows suit and before you know it, everyone is running full-tilt, sometimes for a train that hasn't even arrived yet.
Also, people tend to start work later in Japan, further negating the need to rush. The trains are, relatively speaking, dead between 6.30-7.30am. People get in later (around 9-9.30) and leave later to balance things out. I may yet succumb to the run, but for now I'll stick to a calm stroll.
Incidentally, the picture at the top is something I've yet to see in Tokyo. It might be that I'm not on the busiest train line, but thankfully I haven't seen anyone shoved onto the train by the conductors.
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