Packed like sardines into sweaty, claustrophobic carriages, these passengers can barely breathe let alone move about freely.

If you think your commute is a living hell, then spare a thought for these subway passengers in Tokyo. Packed like sardines into sweaty, claustrophobic carriages, these passengers can barely breathe let alone move about freely.

The photographs are the work of Michael Wolf, a German-born artist who has been capturing the cramped conditions of the Japanese capital's transport network for 15 years.

Tokyo is world famous for its urban density and so the public transport nightmare is hardly surprising.

Standing on the platform as the doors snap shut, Wolf has been able to capture a whole range of expressions from his unwilling and trapped subjects.

Some stare disconcertingly at the lens, others close their eyes to try and escape the brutal overcrowding, while others have their faces contorted against the steamy glass windows.

Wolf first experienced the Japanese subway network when reporting on the aftermath of the sarin nerve gas attack which killed 16 people and injured 6,000 in 1995. His collection of images quickly grew into a portfolio first exhibited in 2008.

'I shot six frames of faces of early morning commuters in subway windows which turned out to be very powerful images,' said Wolf.

'I spent 20 days [Monday to Friday] every morning from 7.30 until 8.45 at the same subway station shooting portraits of people on their way to work.'

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