by Alma Reyes
TRAFFIC Japan in the State of Imperfection In the eyes of many people across the world, Japan appears to be a utopian nation of sacred discipline, courtesy, generosity, and civility. Why not? For us who live through the day-to-day stagnancy of home and work routines in this so-called idyllic state, we naturally understand where the outsiders’ evaluation comes from. You can retrieve your umbrella on the same day you carelessly left it inside the train. It is customary to receive a call from the koban (police box) about your lost wallet that had been picked up by some stranger and who never touched your wallet contents. You may be lucky enough to be guided by a passerby to your destination when you lose your way in the streets. We have all received business calls or E-mails from almost any type of service establishment that start with an apology for disturbing your time, and end with another apology and gratitude for the precious minutes you have spared. These are just a few samples of the standardized “Japanese ways” (shikata) of social affability that locals and foreigners fondly embrace with the highest degree of positivity.
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Hence, when the coin is flipped on “unexpected” incidents of crime, corruption, dishonesty, degradation, and even harassment and abuse, which rampage the news, foreigners react with mouths agape and disbelief. “Unthinkable!” would be the immediate consensus. Uncalled-for moments, such as the abrasive conduct of a man who pushes you to the side when he is hurrying down the escalator; an old
woman who knocks your elbow in the midst of a bargain sale; sexual harassment and age discrimination at work; marital abuse; homicides, especially within families; robberies; or perversion don’t seem to belong in the Japanese encyclopedia of natural occurrences. Really? Recently, a young man stabbed innocent passengers inside a train in one of Tokyo’s usually quiet residential neighborhoods because he didn’t particularly enjoy seeing happy people. Soon after, another young man splashed sulfuric acid on an ex-university mate also inside a train station. A man had been arrested for the death of his girlfriend’s 3-year old son whom he left under over 50 °C boiling shower. Some Japanese politicians have been arrested for illegal activities. No one in Japan forgets the infamous religious cult for their horrendous sarin gas attack in a central Tokyo subway that injured over 5,000 victims and killed around 14 commuters in 1995. Clearly, Japan’s social culture would not be complete without its Yakuza gangs. Finally, offensive perversion, such as underwear-stealing, photo taking under mini-skirts, hidden cameras in girls’ washrooms in schools, and other disturbing, but perhaps, less pronounced forms of ill behavior have become commonplace spices in our supposedly nonchalant life events. In fact, Japan buries itself in a long trail of crimes, which perhaps, just don’t reach the bubbly social media or the foreign press.
SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2021
