Japanese Features Japanese Streets Soceity and Customs

Difference in what we see on the street, Part 1

When walking along the street, we rarely pay close attention to what we see on the street.  What you see or do not see is usually culturally defined, right?

Photo by Megurau645 Used Under CC

Probably, most of the time, walking itself is not the main attraction, but just a secondary act by which we reach our destinations.  Closer attention COULD give us some interesting insight into cultural differences between Nagoya and New York.

In some neighborhoods in New York, after Christmas/New Year holidays, Christmas tress are discarded on the sidewalk.  By American tradition, people decorate their house to celebrate Christmas.  As some scenes in movies show, it surely is one of the pleasant holiday events to pick a right Christmas tree with family and friends.

However, from Japanese point of view, the abandoned trees, still alive but unnecessary after the holiday season, are a huge waste.  The trees can be kept inside as an interior decoration until they die out.  Or, "artificial" but reusable trees could be used, as most Japanese households use for Christmas decoration.   

Another example shows interesting cultural aspects of the two cities.  Pedestrians in New York, in general, do not stop at the traffic light.  While paying close attention to up-coming cars, they quickly cross the street, even the busy street.  It makes some sense that to keep up with the fast-paced lifestyle, New Yorkers cannot waste their precious time by patiently waiting for the traffic light to change.  Especially waiting when no cars are coming is surely waste of time for them.    

In Nagoya, which is a pretty big city after Tokyo, Osaka and Yokohama, people wait for the traffic light.  They wait only to cross a LITERALLY 2-meter street.  This is surely the case where there is a traffic light.  So do they even when no cars are coming around!  Our instinct tells that Nagoyans MUST follow someone who, disobeying the traffic rule, crosses the street. Some Nagoyans do, but most Nagoyans do not.

We seriously wonder if Nagoyan's minds are set to orderly follow the rules?  Nagoyans may be typical examples of the Japanese who are strict to the rules even when nobody is watching them?

Another post on Vending Machines may interest you!!
Continued to Part 2 and Part 3....