Monday, November 21, 2011

Passing on the right, not the left! - Things I've noticed about Japan

It is an incredibly clean place! We walked behind a business woman going to work today and she picked up 3 pieces of trash from the sidewalk as she went and put it in her snack bag as she went along. Does everyone do this?
We have yet to find an old beat up car (do they buy a new one every few years?) and NONE with any dirt on them. Is it required to wash your car every night when you come home? It's incredible! There's a boxy looking car that Betty likes - she calls it a bento box on wheels! (bento box is a little box of Japanese food you can buy a lot of places to take for lunch. We haven't tried them yet.)
Everyone bows! The conductress entered the train car and bowed and then went down the aisle. Entering and leaving Mister Donut or any store, you give a slight bow in and out. Asking for help, you bow. It's nice!
I think all school children must wear uniforms - some version of the British school girl pleated skirt, all navy blue, with a little variation on the top, knee socks. Haven't seen many boys that seem dressed the same.
Japanese men seem very courteous and deferential to women, their wives or any other. Frequently we've been given a seat on a bus, train, tram.
People have a sense of personal space and NEVER cut a line! We think we goofed getting on a train in Osaka when this woman told us where to line up, and there was a line of people standing back in line, waiting for the door to open. Oops! Not intended!
Things are very quiet here. You don't hear loud groups of men in a train station shouting at each other, etc.
I forgot traffic moves on the left here, people walk to the left! it's hard to remember.


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