LIFE IN JAPAN #2

SIGNS, SIGNS, SIGNS!

(Click on the image and learn everything about Tokyo subway signs)

On my previous post I mentioned that part of my focus for this blog is to give my first hand perspective about life in Tokyo, the people and its customs, as I sit comfortably on my way to work in the subway car.

In a sense, this is a great way to start thinking and finding inspiration for both a movie script of even a book. Why not? So, today I am continuing the tradition (my tradition just created) of talking about ´signs´.

As you can see from the above images, there are many signs that inform you of what to do and not to do, starting from outside the station, to inside the station, to inside the train itself. They are everywhere. From ´No Peddling´, to ´Don´t Rush Into the Train´, to ¨Don´t Talk on the Phone´, to ´Don´t talk Loud´, to ´Don´t Eat and Drink´. Oops, well here is an exception. ´Don´t Drink´ unless it is a good, cold, refreshing beer, primarily on a Friday night. 😯🙀 That´s right. What you gonna do!

For some unexplained reason a サラリーマン (salaryman), after a long and hard work week, is more than allowed to wonder and sit and drink a refreshing cold one. In the train. Yes! Why not! Me? I haven´t done it yet. I´m not gonna lie, I wanna do it, but I´m a bit nervous about it. But one of these days I will. You know what they say, ´when in Japan, do what they do.´ 😂

CLEANLINESS

WOW!!! Now, these are some clean trains! It´s unbelievable.

6 million daily passengers, 9 lines, 180 stations, and they are all kept immaculately clean. Very few times, maybe once or twice a month I get to see a discarded water bottle or a piece of paper. That´s it. As I mentioned before, I grew up in NY, and one of a straphanger´s favorite pastimes while waiting for the next LATE train, is to watch the rats scurry about, nonchalant, on the train tracks, then climb up onto the platform, walk up to you and cozy around your leg like a nice home pet. If you are a New Yorker, you know what I am talking about.

Well, I have yet to see one on the Tokyo subway. This is an incredible characteristic of Japanese society. They are meticulous on how clean they maintain a public space, or a public means of transportation. It clearly demonstrates a heightened understanding of respect for a public good. Something paid by all, through their taxes. They demonstrate an incredible sense of respect for others in the community. This is ´do unto others as you would want them do unto you´ kind of stuff. I also lived in Bogotá, Colombia. There, it has become a favorite past time to destroy the public transportation system. For what purpose? To prove what?

We all use these trains, buses, stations day after day, for the benefit of all of us, of the whole of society. Why do something to destroy it, paint graffiti on it, or even get it dirty?

Again, a sign of respect.

There is another sign that is quite interesting.

There is no need for me to explain this one, of course. What is interesting about it though, is that, except for me and another foreigner that I once saw, no one has stood up from one of these special sitting areas and given up their seat to any of the people shown in the sign. Now, standing up and offering the seat is one thing, that the person you offered it too accepts it is another. Half the time people do not take the seat. I´m beginning to understand that older people do not want to be called out on this; they being old that is. A couple of them have actually ignored my kindness. 😂🤣 Go figure. Anyway, I have developed a special technique. When someone comes into the train that fits the profile above, I don´t offer the seat directly, no. I just casually glance at them, they at me, and then after a few seconds I get up, I don´t acknowledge them anymore and move somewhere else. 90% of the time, (Yes, I have done the quantitative analysis 🤣), they get the message and sit down. Amazing.

And that´s it for this post. Thanks for coming and thanks for reading. See you soon.