August 30, 2009

Here’s a question for you all to ponder: How do you avoid Japanese people?

Okay, let me try to rephrase that….

How do you get out of Japanese people’s way?

Let me explain, in the states, if you are standing somewhere and somebody needs to get by, it is considered proper manners to move out of their way. However, I have noticed that in Japan, it appears to be the opposite. If you need to walk by somebody, it is apparently your job to do whatever you can to avoid running into them. This has led to some truly awkward moments since I have arrived in Japan.

Have you ever seen the scene in “Duck Soup” where Groucho and Harpo mimic each other in the mirror? Well, I have reenacted this scene several times with various Japanese people as I move to the left to get out of their way while they move to the right. I back up and they back up. We both mumble すみません (excuse me) and then both quickly lurch forward trying to take the initiative of getting out of the way.



It must seem very comical to any onlookers.

Why do I bring this up? Well, it is a perfect example of one of my biggest problems here in Japan: how do I act? I don’t mean this as in “I am a gaijin, how do I not act like one?” I mean it in the terms of how do I act so that I do not interrupt the daily flow? Do I bow and greet the cashiers when they bow and welcome me in the morning? Do I approach the register from the left or right? Do I stand against the wall or in front of the register while I wait for my change when there is a line? How do I say thank you? How do I get the cashier’s attention? The guidebook says to say あの、すみません, but what if they don’t hear me? Do I say it louder or just wait for them to notice me?

Do I this?

Do I that?

Do I, do I, do I, do I, do I………………………



Oh well, at least Sauyma and Megan appear to be having the same problems. On another note, one of the most interesting things that I have learned is that you do not directly hand people money when you are paying for something. You put your money on a tray, hand them the tray, they take the money, put the change on the tray, and then they hand the tray back to you where you take the change and put it in your pocket. This reflects the Japanese notion of personal space and, dare I say, cleanliness?

Maybe I should mention the cleanliness a bit more. The Japanese are obsessed with cleanliness. This became readily apparent when we were handed warm washcloths with which to wipe and clean ourselves on the plane prior to takeoff and landing. Another one of the first examples of this that I found was how there were many people on the flight to Japan who wore white medical masks the entire time. Of course, half of them took them off once we landed.



I guess Japanese air, even the stuff that is choked with airline exhaust, is somehow more sanitary than American air. But then again, the masks made a repeat appearance on the train to the hotel, and on the streets of Tokyo. Maybe it is just a regular occurrence here in Japan. I will have to keep my eyes open in the future.

Not much else to report yet. My box of imodium remains curiously unopened and my body seems to have already gotten over jetlag. I guess after my chaotic summer schedule my internal clock has been beaten into submission. Oh, and I have realized that I hae jumped the gun on something. Yesterday I called Saumya the alpha female. Well, I was wrong. We have two alpha females. Saumya and Megan have formed a kind of diarchy with one subject in tow. It’s times like these that I remember my dad’s advice: Just nod your head and let the ladies lead.

Oh well, this is Nate in Tokyo writing to you as just another gaijin.