"She did mention that, as a freshman, she felt sometimes intimidated by others and didn't really raise her hand very much, " said Sotolongo, now chairman and CEO of Student Funding Group in Liberty Corner, New Jersey.

CNN: Cricket, Ivy League classmates startled student Sonia Sotomayor

As the train rounds the northwest corner, it passes the large transit hub of Ikebukuro, comparatively quiet Meijiro and the student haunt of Takadanobaba.

BBC: Seeing Tokyo along the Yamanote Line