Jun
11

Am I Invisible?

Am I invisible? – A seemingly reasonable question for people living in big cities like Tokyo.

As any foreigner in Japan will tell you within moments of setting foot in the country, you are far from being invisible in Japan. Even in a major metropolis like Tokyo which is full of international restaurants and claims to be aiming to be a larger part of the global market, foreigner (or gaijin as they are referred to by so many of the Japanese around) are still stared at on a daily basis.

We are stared at, even monit0red in so many everyday situations. Japanese people watch us as we walk down the street, or stare at us as we sit on a train. Our neighbors will monitor our every move to make sure that we are separating our garbage correctly and that we are putting it our on the right day in the correct spot. Even friends and family of friends watch us in awe and amazement as we masterfully display our capabilities in using the ancient device known as Chopsticks. And even Police will ask us to stop so they can check our bicycle registration or bags, just because.

Nearly every minute of every day (that we are around people at least), we are being watched, monitored, and even judged by the Japanese people around us.

So why is it that Japanese people seem to think that they are completely invisible?!?!
Not sure what I’m talking about?…

Even if you have been in Japan (especially a big city like Tokyo or Osaka) for a short time, I challenge you to think back to how many times you have seen the following things happen right out in public:

Nose Picking
(and I’m not talking about a quick clean and wipe but rather a full-on gold hunt)
For more on this, check out Japanese Gold Diggers.

Public sleeping
(everything from sleepy people on the train to drunk salary-men on the streets)
Check out – Sleepy Japanese People, Don’t Sleep on Me (>_<)

Blatant crotch scratching
Or even someone simply touching their crotch repeatedly for no reason

And if I had to dig into the deep and dirty, I could even go as far as sexual harassment on trains.
Most of these people really aren’t that subtle or secretive about it. Sometimes it’s so open and obvious, that its hard to believe that its happening right in front of your eyes. (For a more in-depth example of what I’m talking about check out my post about the 14-year-old pervert)

Most, if not all of these behaviors (and more that I haven’t listed) are visible all around us and are so blatant that with enough time in Japan, it’s easy to forget that these things are not normal. If you were to ask a Japanese person what they think about seeing someone pick their nose or scratch their magic area in public, you may be surprised to see them shrug it off with a laugh and a “well, that’s Japan“.

Now, while its fair to assume that in a very crowded area, people tend to feel more of a sense of anonymity and get the feeling that nobody is looking at them, this only really accounts for a few of these actions….
But what about the 19-year-old Yankii standing and talking to 5 of his friends while he gives his **** a good scratch-a-roo?!?!

Years ago while hanging out with a group of street-racers here in Tokyo, there was a guy who it didn’t matter where he was, who he was talking to, or what he was doing, he just seemed to feel the need to give himself a good old rub. At first I kind of assumed he was itchy (that would have been the logical conclusion anyway) but over time it became more and more apparent that he just really liked touching himself…
What really threw me for a loop is that nobody seemed to care or even notice (O.o)
And while this is a somewhat extreme and even rare example, I find myself wishing that I could say he was the only person I ever saw do this…

I will tag in here, that Japan is not entirely unique in this sense. I would be hard pressed to try and claim that you wouldn’t see similar things in any other city in the world. In fact, if you were to go to NYC, I am sure you would see a range of actions that would blow you mind, but this is not the U.S.A Rants, it’s The Japan Rants!

And so I put the question that every Japanese person in Tokyo should be asking, flat on the table:

Am I invisible?

 

 

May
13

Sleepy Japanese People – Dont Sleep on Me

The Japanese sleep everywhere. It’s actually quite amazing and it was something I didn’t expect when I first came to Japan.

If I were to ask you what Japan is famous for, what would you say?

If you ask most people outside of Japan this question, you will most likely get answers like samurai, ninja, geisha, sumo, hello kitty, etc… If you ask people living in the country, someone is bound to bring up the incredible and undeniable ability that Japanese people have to sleep anywhere and in any position.

Japanese people seem to have no qualms with sleeping in public, and with even the most minimal amount of research, one can pull up countless blogs, articles, youtube videos and more….

In fact just for good measure, here is a list of a few of my favorite posts:

LoneleePlanet.com

http://www.loneleeplanet.com/2010/01/publicly-sleeping-salarymen/

A great post that not only features some very interesting photos,
but also breaks them down into interestingly named categories!

Kirainet.com
http://www.kirainet.com/english/japanese-sleeping/
An interesting post with some really good shots of J-Sleepers

JapanTalk.com
http://www.japan-talk.com/jt/new/how-to-sleep-in-japan
A great set of photos with an opener that would almost encourage giving it a try~

OneInchPunch.net
http://www.oneinchpunch.net/2007/09/08/sleeping-japanese-people-in-public/
Another decent photo post of Japanese people sleeping in public
*Spoiler Alert* – Last pic is not for the weak-of-stomach…

All of these illustrate the point pretty well. And I have quite the collection of my own photos that I may get around to adding to this post in the near future.
As you can see, Japanese people have managed to do what they have done with so many other simple daily tasks and actions and get the whole sleeping in public skill down to an incomparable art form. We can try to mimic it, but we will never do it quite as well, or in such impressive numbers.

So a fair question to be asking at this point is, ‘if you’re so for Japanese people passing out in public, then where’s the problem?’
The problem lies in that while I may get a hoot out of seeing Japanese people passed out on the streets, trains, toilets, temples, and whatever other locations they choose for their one-man slumber parties, I have no patience for that ever so infamous moment when the person sitting beside me on the train passes out and figures it a good idea to utilize me as their pillow…

Simply put, I do not like when people fall asleep on me on the train.

Most Japanese people will tell you there are 3 common ways of reacting to this situation.
People either:
a) Act as if nothing is happening at all (or even accommodate the sleeper in some way)
b) Get uncomfortable and discreetly try and either get away, or move the sleeper
c) Move or wake-up the sleeper with little-to-no hesitation

I would safely fall under category (c).
Now don’t get me wrong… It’s not that I don’t appreciate the warm sentiment or that I hate human contact, but rather that I find it unbelievably rude and inconsiderate. I am shocked that in a country where it is custom that while riding a train, you speak in a quiet voice, and never use your cellphone, that people find it A-OK to just pass out on the people around them.

Actually, there was an exact moment that triggered this post.
It was a short while ago, and I was on the morning train with one of my Japanese co-workers. We had been on the train for about 10 minutes when the girl beside me started to lean my way. She was a young girl, probably in her mid-20′s. She had the big hair, the fake eyelashes, the platform heels, and that smell that usually only comes from someone who has been out all-night and is making an early-morning return to their 1-room apartment after.
As she started to slowly lean my way, I knew I was in an undesirable position…

In any normal situation, I would have just nudged her and woken her up. Or maybe even changed seats. But this day was different.
I had a Japanese co-worker with me, and if you have read my post about working with Japanese people, you can understand that the last thing I wanted was to lose face.
And so… I let her sleep.

But at what cost? Really… What could the danger be… right?
Well, it turns out that the danger was that this wonderful young lady, was kind enough to share some of her make-up. With my suit.

But it’s ok right? Because I managed to save face with this Japanese co-worker.
Or at least that’s how I tried to view it.
Until we got to work and the rest of the Japanese staff spent the day staring at the make-up stain…
Did anyone say anything to me about it? – No.
Did my morning comrade have the decency to explain about it? – No.
So I’m pretty sure we can all guess what they were thinking….

All of this undue stress combined with the cleaning bill for my jacket, and you have to wonder,

How has this become a social norm in a country where people typically go out of their way to avoid bothering others?!

You have to stop and wonder at some point whether or not it is all really an accident.

I watched to strangers fall asleep on each other just the other night, and as the train ride went on, they seemed to be getting more and more comfortable with each other. It was a Tuesday night, it was fairly early, and neither one of them seemed to be intoxicated…
The girl fell asleep first. Her head slowly fell to the guys shoulder. And then, magically the guy started to fall asleep as well. Within seconds, her head was on his shoulder, and his head was resting on hers.
They stayed like this for a good 20 minutes or more, and the longer they stayed in that position, the more suspicious the whole thing became…

If you think about it. Even when people do fall asleep on the train, they usually wake up (or at least half wake up) at each station. Right?

So how is it that neither one of these 2 woke up even once in the span of over 10 stations…?

When I first released this post, there was a lot of comments by people who said that they didn’t mind as long as the person who fell asleep on them in the train was both, of the opposite gender, and attractive. So I talked to a few of my friends and co-workers and found that a large majority of people here in Japan feel this way.

“it’s not crazy to imagine that some people might actually enjoy the physical contact. Even if it IS from a stranger“, Said one of my co-workers.

But in the end, it’s still not for me. So Dear Japan, please don’t sleep on me.

 

May
04

Dear Tokyo, Where are all the garbage cans?!

Allow me to introduce you to Tokyo

Tokyo is a city covering roughly 2,188 km² (844 sq miles) – metro.tokyo.jp
Tokyo has a population of around 13,189,000 people – metro.tokyo.jp
And Tokyo has roughly 6000 Convenience Stores (or Konbini) – Stats-Japan.com
And depending on the day, it isn’t considered rare to find outdoor food vendors scattered throughout the city.
But how many garbage cans?

Take a minute to imagine… It’s a beautiful crisp spring morning as you walk down the street with your konbini bag in one hand and your niku-man (steamed bun with meat inside) in the other~ The air is cool but refreshing, the birds are singing, and you are enjoying every single bite of this juicy and delicious konbini treat! Until… it comes time to throw out the wrapper.

Yes…  this is yet another post about the lack of public garbage cans in Japan (or Tokyo to be more specific).
And I thought long and hard about throwing together this post because… well… its been done. To speak more accurately, it’s been over-done. After a brief search, I was quickly able to find the following and many more:

From Metropolis Magazine:
http://archive.metropolis.co.jp/tokyorantsravesarchive349/315/tokyorantsravesinc.htm
Suggests using peoples bicycle baskets as trash cans… o.O

Another Metropolis Post (found in JapanToday):
http://www.japantoday.com/category/commentary/view/talking-trash
More in-depth than the first post, and makes some very solid points

From Quora.com:
http://www.quora.com/Tokyo-Japan/Why-are-there-no-trash-cans-on-the-streets-in-Tokyo
Says it all started with an anti-terrorist campaign

From ThisJapaneseLife.org:
http://thisjapaneselife.org/2012/02/08/trash-cans-in-japan/
A lot less about the garbage cans, and a lot more about  the Aum cult and 1995 incident
(Worth taking the time to read)

From TokyoMango.com:
http://www.tokyomango.com/tokyo_mango/2010/01/please-take-your-trash-home-.html
A short post, but one that makes a good cultural point.

 

The point:
Finding a garbage can on the street in Tokyo, is not an easy task.
While there is never a konbini, McD, or restroom far away, you will be hard pressed to find yourself a trash can on the sidewalk, street corner, or train station.

There are a lot of great theories floating around (Anti-terrorism campaign, waste-disposal control, money-saving tactics of the Japanese government, litter reduction, cultural mindset, etc…) and many of them are clearly detailed in the articles above, but when I first noticed this phenomenon (which surprisingly took me quite a while), I asked a close Japanese friend of mine, and without even a second of hesitation he answered,
“Because we’re not supposed to be eating and walking anyways. Not to mention eating on the train. So why would they provide trash cans?! The konbini, fast food restaurants, and shops all have garbage cans. Heck, even most vending machines have bottle and can disposals beside them.”
I guess my opening scenario is a no go…

And as it has for many people at one point or another, this lack of garbage cans bugged me from time to time. But to be completely honest with you, after taking the time to look through all of the articles written about it, talk to a variety of people about it, and gain a more full and complete view, I no longer feel bothered by it like I did before (although I’m sure I will the next time I need to throw out a wrapper or yakitori stick ^_- ).
I guess ignorance isn’t always bliss after all~

And I guess this really wasn’t much of a rant…
Well, I can still always complain about the lack of spatial awareness in Japan!

 

overflowing tokyo trash can

Tokyo Trash Can

 

 

Apr
15

Pushy Japanese Oba-sans

We have all seen it at one point or another. You are getting on (or off) of a train, and a woman ranging from anywhere between her mid forty’s to her sixties, shoves by every single person just to get on the train and sit down.

These older women (or Oba-sans) can seem sweet and harmless, but it is there that the danger lies. Japanese people are known for being passive. They typically don’t show emotion, and they are more likely to walk away from any form of confrontation than to get into an argument, spat, or power struggle (especially in public).
These women have lived in this culture their entire lives and know this. And exploit it.
They are more than well aware that nobody is going to fight them. After all… it’s Japan… and … they’re women.

In fact, shortly after first arriving in Japan I was at a supermarket shopping for my dinner. I was young, working freelance, and pinching every penny that I could, so I always waited until around 7pm when the local supermarket discounted the meat! As I arrived in the meat section, I noticed that there was only one package of meat left and that it had been discounted by 50%!! I picked it up and went to put it in my shopping basket as I looked forward to the dinner that would follow, but magically, it never made it to the basket…

I got my first real taste of culture shock on this day as a Japanese woman well into her 40′s pulled the pack of meat right out from my hand and put it in her cart. Without so much as a look, she simply walked away. It was as if nothing happened…
Still in shock, I purchased the contents of my shopping basket and went home to eat a meat-less dinner.

But what happens when someone protests? What happens when someone finally stands up and says “Hey lady! I’m not gonna take that S#@&!” ? What happens when somebody shoves back??

Well… that’s where this post truly begins.
It all started with a seemingly quiet trip to Ikebukuro, a large and somewhat crowded shopping area in Tokyo, on a Saturday morning. I boarded the Yamanote line and managed to get myself a seat near the door. All was well and good until us Ikebukuro-b0und commuters went to get off the train….

As the doors opened, people waited to either side to allow for those exiting the train to do so with at least some ease. With the exception of just one woman. She was in her 50′s and had that crazy look in her eyes!

As people poured out of the train, she did everything she could to fight her way in. Looking like a salmon pushing its way upstream, she shoved past a man who was clearly having a bad day, and that’s when the unimaginable happened.
He shoved back.
It was a gentle shove, barely carrying the scent of frustration and even more barely noticeable to those not looking directly at the two, but what followed was something that will remain in my memory for years to come.

It started with a noise. A noise which at first resembled a grunt but quickly turned into a full and terrifying scream. Followed by what can only be described as nearly-profane language and a quick swing of her purse to the side of his head…

Everyone around stopped. Stunned. None of us could believe what just transpired. But more amazing was the fact that in the brief moment that it took us to recover, this woman had managed to get herself a seat. And not just any seat… my seat, right by the door. A cold shiver went down my spine and the train was gone. The moment had passed and would be remembered by all.

Now… It’s not every day that we get to see such incredible events in the gentle land of Japan, but its for exactly that reason that when they happen, they stand out.

The most dangerous part of it, is that you never know when its coming. Something as small as a sneeze could end up having you harassed by one of these Japanese middle-aged women, or even end up having you dragged to the police box (which if you read the post about what happened when I turned in a wallet, you will realize that as a foreigner, you don’t want to go to a police box for any reason other than perhaps asking directions)

After a quick search on youtube, I was able to find this video of middle-aged Japanese woman who was quite upset at an elderly woman simply for sneezing on her jacket:

I think one of the most common points that comes up when talking to Japanese friends about Japanese culture, is this point about pushy middle-aged Japanese women.
As I write this section, I am sitting in a JAL lounge in Narita Airport and right in front of me there is a Japanese woman in her early 60′s who just pushed her way to the front of the snack counter, and is currently filling her purse with “complimentary” snacks.

Now… I could spend another 500+ words talking about how this pattern could possibly relate to a Japanese female “mid-life crisis”, or how it could be a release or overcompensation for a lifetime of ‘gamman‘ (the Japanese practice of holding back or self control), or even how it could potentially be a back-lash from decades of taking crap…

I could get more into this… But I won’t!

Instead, I am going to open up the floor to all of you~
If you have a story or two, share them in the comments section below!!

Apr
02

Japanese Gold Diggers

So, as much as you would expect this to be about Japanese women (and for that matter… men), who survive by living of the money of a rich boyfriend, husband, or even papa… Its not!
Rather, this is purely and simply about Japanese men and a certain tendency that they have.

I was sitting in a Japanese culture discussion group, and as we were bringing up topics that we wanted to discuss or that we had questions on, one of the younger members piped up with, “Why do Japanese men walk around blatantly picking their nose in public?! Don’t they realize that people can see them?”. At this point, the majority of the members in the room got that, So… I’m not the only one who has noticed this?! look on their faces.

And as it turns out, almost every single member has seen it. Whether it be a 48-year-old business man rushing his way through Tokyo station, or a 23-year-old winner chilling on the subway lacking awareness of his surroundings, they are out there, in abundance.

In fact, after a quick search, I found this video which pretty much illustrates the point…

Even managed to find a forum talking about it!! Click Here

Now, if you have spent any amount of time in Tokyo, chances are that you have seen this. Multiple times.
And while some people will argue that living in an overly crowded city in Japan can leave a person feeling like nobody is ever looking at them because there are so many other people around, it doesn’t change the reality.

I even took some time to ask some of my Japanese friends what they think of these Japanese nose pickers, and the topic of public nose picking in Japan.
I was somewhat surprised to find out that at least 50% of both the Japanese men and Japanese women that I asked said that it was neither uncommon or shocking to them to see someone picking their nose in public…
In fact, some even brought up other points such as teeth cleaning, eye-gunk picking, and open genital scratching that they saw just as often if not more often than nose picking…

So as the discussion group got going on this topic, my mind was on this blog and all of you out there. And so that brings us once again to the what are your thoughts? section. (and I thought I might toss in another poll~ )

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