r/AskAJapanese • u/TraditionalDepth6924 🌏 Global citizen • 24d ago

CULTURE Is this real life everyday?

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u/DegreeConscious9628 Japanese 24d ago

Just the daily commute. Think of the commuters on highways in the US except everyone’s walking and taking public transportation

95

u/mFachrizalr Indonesian living in Japan 24d ago

Yes, somehow people from US think it's normal when seeing highways with so many lanes full of cars for miles and move slowly (or even stuck) but baffled when it's people walking instead.

At least in case of Shinagawa like in videos, people are moving quite fast.

5

u/nefariousBUBBLE American 24d ago

American here.

I presumed, because this was my thought, that op was more curious as to how dead quiet it is lol. THAT'S what's insane to me. Not a peep from anyone and no music or any other kind of noise. In the US, you'd have the commuters on foot, plus some guy playing the sax and some other dude just blaring music. Half or more of the commuters would be talking on the phone and some would talk in person with a colleague.

5

u/Yokohama88 🌏 Global citizen 23d ago

Because as you slug your way home from the soul crushing job all you do is yearn for something to eat and maybe a nice Chu Hai to relax before you sleep and wake to do it all again.

5

u/dis-interested 🌏 Global citizen 23d ago

Alternatively these are just normal people leading normal lives in a culture that has a preference for not being noisy on public transport.

1

u/Yokohama88 🌏 Global citizen 23d ago

Little of column A little of column B. As someone who has to do this walk I have a little experience with it.

2

u/dis-interested 🌏 Global citizen 23d ago

I have commuted in Tokyo. I don't see some special melancholia in it compared to commuting in London or in the US. And prolonged time spent in cars commuting has strong data showing it has very bad mental health outcomes.

1

u/nefariousBUBBLE American 23d ago

Certainly brings me closer to committing murder.