Photo: KAMASAMI KONG
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Subway manners

12 Comments

A poster at Ginza subway station offers advice on how to be polite in four languages.

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12 Comments
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3RENSHO

my work kettle is always full.

Please explain how this jives with your theory.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Why is the kettle always empty? The answer is simple: due to peer pressure. No-one wants to be seen opening the kettle -- there are documented cases on record where a disgruntled company worker has poured a noxious substance (such as bleach) into the kettle in order to exact revenge upon co-workers over some perceived or imagined slight. Everyone understands intuitively that rules such as those depicted on the Subway manners poster are only meaningless window-dressing. A visitor to Japan will not see the ever-present peer pressure that keeps the populace in line.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Personally I love these signs. I am Canadian and have been fortunate enough to travel to Japan on 3 occasions and think that these signs are just visual reminders for anything from 'don't talk on your cellphone on the train' to 'don't be drunk on a platform' and I think that the rest of the would could use these friendly reminders for all sorts of things. This is why Japan is clean, courteous and thinks everything through so thoroughly.

Even at work here in my office, what would be the harm in having a sign on the hot water kettle to say 'if you see me empty or take some water, refill for the next person!'....it's not rude or anything like that, it's just a little reminder to be your best and be helpful and if everyone does this (or more people the better), the interaction or experience will be just that much better for everyone.

People may laugh at that, but how many times does one approach an empty kettle and think "Why is it ALWAYS empty!?! I'm ALWAYS filling it up..." when the alternative would be seeing it's a full kettle, pouring my water in my cup and filling it for the next person and going back to my desk.

Thanks!

3 ( +3 / -0 )

very few Japanese observe the priority seats as it is, youngsters to adults rush to fill them while glued to their smart phones and how many Japanese have you ever seen hold a door open for a person about to walk through behind them? these concepts of manners have not been taught to Japanese children, would be simple to teach in manners etiquette classes in primary school but officials in charge in the ministry of education have never been taught them either.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Above points all very interesting, indeed, and well understood. Question for those of you living there presently: I notice the largest language on that sign is Japanese. How are the locals doing with the suggested etiquette? In my experience [many protracted visits over the last 17 years] most Japanese won't show deference to handicapped, elderly, or even pregnant women. Most young people, salarimen, kogeru, etc. will usually adopt the eyes-closed-furrowed-brows posture instead of giving up a seat on the train... Please tell me I'm getting that wrong?

4 ( +4 / -0 )

A lesson in manners?

But they aren't manners, they're rules. You can dress them up as etiquette or manners but they're just orders, rules.

If they were really concerned about manners there would be huge signs in every station toilet saying, "Now Wash Your Hands." But there aren't...

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Any foreigner I’ve seen on trains, apart from Chinese, have been very courteous. I think more signs like this in Japanese only are necessary

9 ( +11 / -2 )

I worry that telling blind people there’s a post in their way might be seen as a micro-aggression. Maybe that’s just the Canadian in me talking.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Well done. It would be great to have more kind and helpful human interaction in Japan.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

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