It¡¯s a fact of life in the big cities of Japan that the morning commuter trains will be jammed packed. There¡¯s really no way around it for bedtown residents but luckily for the country¡¯s million of 9-to-5 salaried workers, ?this summer saw the launch of three new apps that can quite literally help commuters out of a jam, or at least make it a bit more bearable.

: The name says it all, komi, meaning crowded and repo, a contraction of the loanword report, this app lets you know which routes are most crowded. Each route is given a rating from one through six ¨C one? meaning you¡¯ve got plenty of space to sit down in and six meaning get ready to go bumper to bumper with a bunch of strangers ¨C allowing you the option to switch to a less congested line. The information is updated by users in realtime, making it a largely reliable service. Made by , a software provider that already provides a huge range of apps to help with navigating your way around Japan, Komirepo is free of charge, but unfortunately not available in English.

: Though Komirepo is great for those who suffer from claustrophobia, it¡¯s not a surefire solution for those who really need a seat, especially in Tokyo where virtually all routes are busy during rush hour. Users of this app form alliances with other commuters, letting each other know what route they¡¯re riding, which carriage they¡¯re on and when they¡¯re about to vacate a seat. This requires sacrificing a certain amount of privacy as you have to let others know what you look like, but it does it in such a cute way that it seems churlish to object. To let that seat-hungry member of your group know who you are, you simply create and dress up a cute little avatar of yourself, letting them know your age group, hair style and choice of clothing. Once they¡¯ve spotted you they can simply sidle up and wait for you to leave the train.

: Once you¡¯ve got yourself seated, you¡¯ll need something to pass the time. Why not pretend that you¡¯re in control of driving the train (see video above). This Yamanote Line version is the latest release in a by Taito that realistically simulate the experience of driving a train on actual routes within Japan. Excitement within the game is somewhat sacrificed to realism, as goals include things like keeping to the timetable, but it¡¯s pretty much a must for train geeks.