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Mike L.
Joined: 28 Feb 2003
Posts: 519
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 Posted: Thu Nov 18, 2004 4:33 am Post subject: |
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| That one amazed me d. It is really more expensive to buy in bulk yet people will do it. Does anybody asked why. Is it possible to talk Japaneese people out of their rules when they don:t make sense. |
Impossible I say. People don't really think that far ahead if they think at all.
A perfect example is seeing some old lady mopping the floor in a Tokyo subway station at 5 PM just as rush hours begins and people simply track more dirt around because of the wet floor.
Same thing in my school. Why mop when people are walking in that area?
I guess some old fool said "me must mop the floors at 5 o'clock every day" sometime in the Showa era and nobody has the wherewithal to change that.
The average Japanese person seems devoid of common sense or the ability to reason and think but let's face it when it comes to marshalling human resources and keeping those trains running few can beat this system.
All a product of the "obey" culture and and in my opinion a crappy so called education system.
Of course I come at this one from a western perhaps over-thinking point of view.
On the plus side so many of these stupid rules, like the NHK fee, and non-thinking people can be so easily ignored that in fact one has a rather free course of action in Japan. |
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Sheep-Goats
Joined: 16 Apr 2004
Posts: 527
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| Posted: Thu Nov 18, 2004 4:58 am Post subject: |
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| Nismo wrote: |
Wearing suits in the peak heat and humidity of summer, even if they are made of a more breathable material.  ick. |
Don't come to Thailand... |
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David W
Joined: 17 Jan 2003
Posts: 457
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Thu Nov 18, 2004 5:50 am Post subject: |
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| JimDunlop2 wrote: |
I notice that here, NO ONE, and I do mean NO ONE would every be caught dead asking for a "doggy-bag" at a restaurant. In fact, nothing amuses me more than a table of Japanese people at the local pub that order a HUGE plate of nachos, and each eat maybe 1 or 2 chips and get up to leave hardly having touched it (presumably out of politeness)...
pour a beer before, I will usually order a can or bottle. 
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I'm calling BS here. People get doggy bags all the time. Most places even have special plastic containers precisely for that purpose. Try it next time you go. |
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JimDunlop2
Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Posts: 2286
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Thu Nov 18, 2004 9:18 am Post subject: |
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| David... Your experience is definitely different from mine... Maybe people around here are just too uppity. But I don't exagerate when I say that I've never seen it in all the time I've been here.... |
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Dr.J
Joined: 09 May 2003
Posts: 304
Location: usually Japan
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| Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2004 5:14 am Post subject: |
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Yeah I laughed at some of these!
What I am always amazed at is - they just don't think!
Like the kids mopping up where someone is walking! OK so western kids would balk at being asked to clean at all, but...
And don't get me started on driving...world record for the longest red light has to go to my town (and the funny thing is, BOTH directions are red..so like...NO ONE is moving!!! For over 30 seconds!).
| Quote: |
| Speaking of buying in Bulk......in Canada a dozen doughnuts cost about 5 dollars Canadian last time I checked, and in Japan a dozen doughnuts will cost you an arm and a leg. |
Yeah you know I was just in Canada the other day and I couldn't find a decent takoyaki place anywhere, and when I did it cost me an arm and a leg!
I guess it works both ways... |
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The G-stringed Avenger
Joined: 13 Aug 2004
Posts: 746
Location: Lost in rhyme infinity
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| Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2004 8:29 am Post subject: |
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| Or why making noise in your own apartment or on the train or on the street is a big no-no but it's okay during political campaigns for politicians to drive trucks around the streets screaming slogans into loudspeakers, even vicious racial hatred from those far-right parties. From 7 in the morning until 9 at night, despite the fact that the noise laws forbid this. I used to throw eggs at them when they passed my balcony - witness the flow of words suddenly cut off!!!! |
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AgentMulderUK
Joined: 22 Sep 2003
Posts: 360
Location: Concrete jungle (Tokyo)
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| Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2004 8:52 am Post subject: |
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| Mike L. wrote: |
The average Japanese person seems devoid of common sense or the ability to reason and think but let's face it when it comes to marshalling human resources and keeping those trains running few can beat this system.
All a product of the "obey" culture and and in my opinion a crappy so called education system.
Of course I come at this one from a western perhaps over-thinking point of view.
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Haha. Spot on Mike. |
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denise
Joined: 23 Apr 2003
Posts: 3419
Location: finally home-ish
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| Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2004 8:52 am Post subject: |
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| The G-stringed Avenger wrote: |
| Or why making noise in your own apartment or on the train or on the street is a big no-no but it's okay during political campaigns for politicians to drive trucks around the streets screaming slogans into loudspeakers, even vicious racial hatred from those far-right parties. From 7 in the morning until 9 at night, despite the fact that the noise laws forbid this. I used to throw eggs at them when they passed my balcony - witness the flow of words suddenly cut off!!!! |
Hooooo boy, those loudspeakers grate on my nerves like nothing else!!!
I was walking along the street one day, minding my own business, when a van blasting political slogans and carrying white-glove-wearing candidates and supports crept up alongside me. I just covered my ears and gave them a pained expression. Some of them shot me some nasty looks--I guess they were offended that I cared more about my precious eardrums than about their message.
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Eric
Joined: 08 Apr 2004
Posts: 44
Location: Hawaii
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| Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2004 9:20 am Post subject: No using a kai tai on the train. |
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And why is it required that you cannot speak into a kai tai while riding a train. I was told that it was because of the phones effecting pace makers but then I noticed that about 40% of the passengers were typing e-mails. Are e-mails more benign to all of the travelers who might have pace makers.
It certainly is very rude to speak on a train. |
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azarashi sushi
Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Posts: 562
Location: Shinjuku
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| Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2004 10:44 am Post subject: |
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Yeah, those political campaigners at 150 decibels really bug me too... I'm always amazed at the extremes in Japan. Food comes either raw or deep fried... And people are usually so painfully shy and reluctant to make any noise but then another aspect of it is so in your face.
| Quote: |
| The average Japanese person seems devoid of common sense or the ability to reason |
Probably a huge generalisation ... But I totally agree with you! The thing that really gets me is the queueing on train platforms. If it's not a crowded station, it's not an issue ... BUT it drives me insane at Shinjuku station (Seibu seems to be the worst) when it is crowded and people queue from one side to the other, completely blocking off the platform and not utilising the space. They make announcements to stand behind the yellow line ABUNAI DESU KARA! But if you want to walk down the platform, they only place to walk is between the yellow line and the edge of the platform. |
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worldwidealive
Joined: 03 Mar 2004
Posts: 84
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| Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2004 3:00 pm Post subject: |
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It's not really a rule, but the way they often charge for accomodation in this country just drives me nuts. You have 1 person in the room? 60,000 Yen. You have 2? 120,000 Yen. Huh? Twice the price for the same room?!? I can see some extra amount, but TWICE?
I had had enough once when 3 friends and I were traveling and they wanted to charge us 4 times the 1 person rent for one room. I asked the desk clerk for 4 rooms. He stood there, with that confused look the Japanese give when you don't follow the norm, but issued me 4 keys to 4 rooms for the SAME price! So, we filled half of the small hotel just to spite their stupid pricing model. I don't think he ever understood the point - just dumb.
The same happened at a pool hall once. 4 people. We all wanted to play on the same table. They wanted to charge 4 times the single, hourly rate for the table. So, I bought 4 tables and we only played on one. Same price. They actually had to turn people away because they were "full". He asked if we needed the other tables when he saw we weren't playing on them, but I told him that if we were going to pay for 4 tables were were going to have 4 tables.
I do this every chance I can when they have some foolish pricing model. I personally believe that the Japanese consumers are some of the most uneducated buyers in the world.
WWA |
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Nismo
Joined: 27 Jul 2004
Posts: 520
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| Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2004 6:01 pm Post subject: |
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| The pricing may not make sense, but Japan has gone from an economic catastrophe to the second largest power in the world in only a decade - a feat that economists still don't entirely grasp. |
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Lynn
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 696
Location: in between
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| Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2004 10:52 pm Post subject: |
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| saloc wrote: |
| A guy I know is completely bald but still has to wear a swimming cap at the local pool. |
This is the funniest damn comment I've read on this board in ages. Thanks! Hahahaha! |
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spidey
Joined: 29 Jun 2004
Posts: 382
Location: Web-slinging over Japan...
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| Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2004 12:07 am Post subject: |
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Nismo,
You say that Japan is the second most powerful...
Which one is Japan more powerful than, America or China?
S |
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bshabu
Joined: 03 Apr 2003
Posts: 200
Location: Kumagaya
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| Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2004 1:26 am Post subject: |
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| The first most powerful economy in the world is the USA; 2nd Japan. |
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