As I've said before, dealing with garbage in Japan is complex. It's so complicated that many Japanese folks get it wrong, too. There are different rules for different neighborhoods and some subtler rules come into play about washing garbage. You can't, for instance, put out a can of food that has expired. You have to empty the food and wash the can. It's easy for people who have busy lives to
Affichage des articles dont le libellé est cleanliness. Afficher tous les articles
Affichage des articles dont le libellé est cleanliness. Afficher tous les articles
jeudi 22 septembre 2011
Will Miss #366 - "trash cops" (the good)
Posted on 08:00 by Unknown
As I've said before, dealing with garbage in Japan is complex. It's so complicated that many Japanese folks get it wrong, too. There are different rules for different neighborhoods and some subtler rules come into play about washing garbage. You can't, for instance, put out a can of food that has expired. You have to empty the food and wash the can. It's easy for people who have busy lives to
mercredi 19 janvier 2011
Will Miss #278 - bowing
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
This covers three strong aspects of Japanese culture - bowing, cleaning up after others and saying "welcome".
Do you know what's great about the way Japanese greet one another? You don't have to touch anybody. If that sounds squeamish to a paranoid extent, go back and read my post here. I've seen enough public peeing, nasal excavation, and women walking out of toilets without washing their hands
Do you know what's great about the way Japanese greet one another? You don't have to touch anybody. If that sounds squeamish to a paranoid extent, go back and read my post here. I've seen enough public peeing, nasal excavation, and women walking out of toilets without washing their hands
vendredi 19 novembre 2010
Won't Miss #257 - public urination
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
A sign in a paid parking lot asking people not to use it as a toilet
I realize men pee in the streets all around the world, especially when they are drunk and it's night-time, but I personally did not experience it that much growing up in America. I was very shocked to see that perfectly sober men in Tokyo urinate in well-traveled side streets and on other people's private property, even when
I realize men pee in the streets all around the world, especially when they are drunk and it's night-time, but I personally did not experience it that much growing up in America. I was very shocked to see that perfectly sober men in Tokyo urinate in well-traveled side streets and on other people's private property, even when
lundi 8 novembre 2010
Won't Miss #252 - Japanese paper towels
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
I don't know why these seem to be named for cow usage.
Yes, I know paper towels are the spawn of ecological evil and I shouldn't use them. That being said, considering the fact that I can only do laundry in cold water, I'm not exactly in a position to be cleaning greasy rags or getting germy ones clean and sanitary. I really have little choice but to use paper towels for things like cleaning a
Yes, I know paper towels are the spawn of ecological evil and I shouldn't use them. That being said, considering the fact that I can only do laundry in cold water, I'm not exactly in a position to be cleaning greasy rags or getting germy ones clean and sanitary. I really have little choice but to use paper towels for things like cleaning a
vendredi 1 octobre 2010
Won't Miss #239 - sharing slippers
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
My husband got a pair of Birkenstocks that had been worn twice by their previous owner via Freecycle in Tokyo. We had been having problems finding a new pair in his size (and he doesn't have big feet!) and were delighted when a pair that were big enough showed up in the Freecycle mailing list. My friend Shawn had a bit of an "ick" response to the idea that we'd accept second-hand shoes, even
lundi 19 juillet 2010
Won't Miss #204 - willful (and pointless) littering
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
I realize that littering happens everywhere. Of course, in the U.S., this sort of thing carries heavy fines. It supposedly does in Japan, too, but the police don't enforce the law on this point. When I was back home, hucking your trash onto the street would cost you $300 if you were seen. The Japanese are no exception to being litter bugs. As I have said before, they are not as clean as
mardi 15 juin 2010
Won't Miss #186 - bleaching everything
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
The Japanese are obsessed with keeping things clean and new looking. That means that they see ordinary wear or mundane staining as unacceptable. To this end, they seem to think pouring bleach all over everything is good. At my office, coffee and tea cups were regularly bleached en masse, as were tea pots. The office manager even tried to bleach dirty trash cans (which didn't work as they
Inscription à :
Articles (Atom)