Commuting to and from work during peak hours in Tokyo can be an utterly soul-destroying experience.

With passengers jammed in like sardines in a can, the suffocating conditions on many trains can elevate stress levels and cause tempers to fray. Given the sheer number of people who use trains to get to and from work each day, there's literally no place to hide.

Imagine, then, how much more difficult such peak-time train journeys can be for pregnant women, parents with children and people with disabilities.