Dont do this in Japan

PJ

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Jan 27, 2002
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Foreigners not waiting in line - that's probably mostly the Chinese from China or Hong Kong who have terrible elevator etiquette as well. Chinese from China or Hong Kong have little or no concept of a line. My Maryknoll Sister (Nun) Chinese speaking cousin warned me about that in Hong Kong in 1981 as we approached a bus stop ( she said don't get mad if they cut - that's just what they do) and you can see the Chinese in action in Hawaii (Chinese and Japanese at one elevator is hilarious - the two extremes of politeness with the poor Japanese just being trodden on by the Chinese) and we saw them doing it in Japan too this winter.
 
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Pico

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Foreigners not waiting in line - that's probably mostly the Chinese from China or Hong Kong who have terrible elevator etiquette as well. Chinese from China or Hong Kong have little or no concept of a line. My Maryknoll Sister (Nun) Chinese speaking cousin warned me about that in Hong Kong in 1981 as we approached a bus stop ( she said don't get mad if they cut - that's just what they do) and you can see the Chinese in action in Hawaii (Chinese and Japanese at one elevator is hilarious - the two extremes of politeness with the poor Japanese just being trodden on by the Chinese) and we saw them doing it in Japan too this winter.
Im like a Chinese in the lift line
 
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PJ

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Other interesting things about Japan - There is dry snow, lots of it, and lots of good ski areas, some with trains getting you 15 minutes from a mountain. There is no tipping - they will be insulted and chase you down to give it back. Restaurants are pleasantly inexpensive and then even less because no tip. The cab drivers wear black suits and the cabs, even the 1980's ones, look shiny and perfect like they were prepped to go to a cab show. The meter says 1500 yen - you give the guy 1500 yen and you're done. What a concept! No drinking of anything or smoking while you are walking. Seems weird until you realize that there are no (and I mean zero - really - it's hard to believe zero but it's zero) public trash cans. There is always a trash can at the restaurant where you purchased your meal for your wrappers, etc. and there is always a recycle bin at the coke or drink machine on the street where you buy your drink but that's it. So trash and recycle is only at point of purchase. Paper towels in rest rooms are very rare, most people carry a small towel with them to dry their hands with after washing them.

I think there's a logic to the whole thing - if there are no public trash cans how could you eat or smoke while walking? And its plain to see that the no trash can stuff adds up to zero (and I mean zero) litter.
 
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One-Off

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Other interesting things about Japan - There is dry snow, lots of it, and lots of good ski areas, some with trains getting you 15 minutes from a mountain. There is no tipping - they will be insulted and chase you down to give it back. Restaurants are pleasantly inexpensive and then even less because no tip. The cab drivers wear black suits and the cabs, even the 1980's ones, look shiny and perfect like they were prepped to go to a cab show. The meter says 1500 yen - you give the guy 1500 yen and you're done. What a concept! No drinking of anything or smoking while you are walking. Seems weird until you realize that there are no (and I mean zero - really - it's hard to believe zero but it's zero) public trash cans. There is always a trash can at the restaurant where you purchased your meal for your wrappers, etc. and there is always a recycle bin at the coke or drink machine on the street where you buy your drink but that's it. So trash and recycle is only at point of purchase. Paper towels in rest rooms are very rare, most people carry a small towel with them to dry their hands with after washing them.

I think there's a logic to the whole thing - if there are no public trash cans how could you eat or smoke while walking? And its plain to see that the no trash can stuff adds up to zero (and I mean zero) litter.
I was there in the late 80s and was shocked how clean the streets were. Glad to hear it’s still like that.

However I was equally shocked how littered the BEACH was (Chiba peninsula). I hope that has improved. It was like their sense personal responsibility for communal property ended where the pavement hit the sand.
 

McHatin

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I was there in the late 80s and was shocked how clean the streets were. Glad to hear it’s still like that.

However I was equally shocked how littered the BEACH was (Chiba peninsula). I hope that has improved. It was like their sense personal responsibility for communal property ended where the pavement hit the sand.
It’s mostly trash from the ocean brought in and ending up on the beaches. The Japanese will die before they litter.
 
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PJ

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It’s mostly trash from the ocean brought in and ending up on the beaches. The Japanese will die before they litter.
I think the Japanese would die before they litter!
In Manilla people get a take out lunch in a styrofoam thing in a plastic bag, eat the lunch, put all the waste into the bag then cram the whole thing into the nearest street sewer drain drain. Like wholesale - like you wouldn't believe. The last few years they've been trying to stop that and picking up floating trash in the bay and off the beach but there's lots of places in the world that do that.
 

PJ

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do they throw cigarette butts on the ground?
No - and I think that ties in with you can't smoke there while you are walking. I saw one exception to that - there was a festival in Kyoto while we were there and the morning after we were out early and saw, on a street with bars where people had been hanging out, some cigarette butts and other litter but the store people were cleaning it up.
 

PJ

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And nobody in Japan is fat. Well, maybe 3 fat people but that's it - seriously. It really is amazing. Why is that? I don't know but:

In the public schools (we spent two days total inside of two schools where my daughter teaches) they serve school lunch for everyone every day. The lunch was delivered to the teacher's staff room where the teachers laid out the trays, bowls, silverware, etc. on the trays. Then the teachers ladled out the rice, soup, fish, salad, etc. and the kids picked up the full, ready trays. The teachers served the same for themselves. Simple good food. Everyone has to eat everything, like really clean plate club (except the fish skin, that you can skip). Then the whole school stands in the (unheated) hallways near sinks and brushes their teeth. Teachers too. So in school all kids are able to see what a proper meal looks like which may help as it's good training. And they see the teachers eating the same, as a good example.

The hallways are on the perimeter of the building and have a lot of windows, the classrooms have windows and doors into the perimeter hallways. The hallways are unheated. No, the heat's not turned off - there is no heat. Only the classrooms and offices are heated.
 
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