In America, we drive on the right side of the street which results in us walking on the right side of the sidewalk as well.  In Japan, it’s the opposite.  They drive on the left side of the street and walk on the left side of the sidewalk…

… generally.

I threw that little side note on the end because in many places you will find yourself, there are going to be a million other people and bicycles there too.  Therefore, to enforce the walking on the left side of the sidewalk would be next to impossible.  More often than not, people are swerving in and out of this human maze with no visible order yet it all seems to run so smoothly.

Or does it?

I’d say that 80% of the time it does, but the other 20%, when it doesn’t run so smoothly, it  involves me.  On a near daily basis, I have that awkward interaction with Japanese people where you are coming towards each other and neither person can decide which direction to go, which almost inevitably results in a spontaneous do-si-do.  In America, sure this happens but I find that it happens much more in Japan.  I blame this on the lack of eye contact.  No one “speaks” with their eyes.  If they would only look up, they would see me screaming with mine saying, “Go left! Go left!”