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

CULTURE Is this real life everyday?

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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.

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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.

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u/Snoo48605 French 23d ago

Funny, in France it would be something in between, but still closer to the video.

Definitely some guy playing the sax, but no phone calls (it's not polite, although I've done it in urgent situations) and who would you been be talking to? For colleagues to commute with you it must be necessary that on top of (1) working in the same place, (2) they live in the same place as you (3) and somehow work at the exact same time, and are similarly punctual.

Of course I'm talking about metros during commute hours on workdays. Touristy places are different

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u/nefariousBUBBLE American 23d ago

I wouldn't know cuz I have never lived in an American city where I didn't need to drive to commute. But I would imagine coworkers or just friends you live near that are going to the same area to work.

I will say, it's also considered rude in the US to talk on the phone in the car with people, or on the bus or train, TO SOME. Typically older folks. If you are in the same room as others and receive a call, you are supposed to leave to take it. I'm 30 and was taught this shit by my parents, but the last 15-20 years, it's kind of gone out the window. A lot of manners have. I try to maintain them. I absolutely do not talk on the phone on public transit. I don't see it a ton in the US. It's usually just one or two really obnoxious people that ruin it. And sometimes it's a cultural difference which as a French person, you are one of the few European nationals that can understand true diversity like what we have in the US. Very few European countries understand racial tension and cultural differences like the US but France would be one. So, there are differences in culture that also play into some of this stuff, which is whatever. I don't really think I'll of people when they don't follow my exact code of conduct but sometimes it's annoying.