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Monday, June 06, 2005
Two facts explain a lot:
- Until recently (1835) Japan had isolated itself entirely from the rest of the world !
No harbours, foreigners entering Japan were beheaded, ...
- until this day only 2 of 127 million inhabitants are foreigners
- In Western cultures we see initiative, individualism, having a strong personal opinion etc. as showing a strong character - in Japan that is considered a sign of weakness !
Instead the social goal is to subordinate oneself to the group, hence
- little crime (group sticks together)
- better at science than arts subjects (e.g. philosophy - where you need an opinion ...)
- you never discover your bosses name (he remains tencho)
- the buddhist monk will get out of his mercedes to go to a red-light district bar (no consistent individual in the western sense - but "one man in his life plays many parts") Curious facts:
- shoes must be changed between street, home, toilet etc. all day
- signs are everywhere: like in a socialist country: "let us avoid rubbish !" but also as the ultimate nanny state "please do not kill yourself during the rush hour"
- do not look people in the eye (provocative), do not shake hands (avoid contact)
- 13 million people live in Tokyo, 21 million in greater Tokyo, 4.4 million people go through Shinjuku station a day
- due to paucity of space, lack of cellars/attics due to earthquakes/tornadoes/torrential rain - spare stuff is spread around the houses' environs
- suitcases are rented so as not to fill house
- Japan consists of 3400 Islands, from arctic circle (latitude above Omsk) down to tropics (latitude Bangladesh), most is south of the latitude of the alps, 90% is mountainous and unpopulated
- Tokyo is at the Latitude of Tunis - hence the heat in August !
- Mobile phone variants: throw away, in-store with customer-to-customer telephone directory, local city only ...
Posted at 09:32 pm by salmony
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Salmony's Asia Trip 2005
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