Privacy and Public Manners - Means "Keep it to Yourself".
Privacy and Public Manners - Means "Keep it to Yourself".
Today I'd like to talk a bit about cultural differences.
Generally speaking, people in Tokyo no matter how radical they might dress
- ie "Goths. Rockers or Harajuku Punks" are far less likely to express their political, philosophical or intellectual interests in public, to strangers and even more rarely at work. The Rule of Thumb is this; Keep your opinions to yourself, everyone here is working towards the same goal; the peaceful status-quo.
An interesting example of keeping ones inner self intact while in public is through a little device called the "book cover". Paper or leather slips that go over the covers of paper-backs which allow readers to hide their interests, hobbies or topics of study secret from strangers.
The reason I find this interesting is because this type of "public manner" stands in strong contrast to even the most reserved of Vancouver-ites. A city I spent 4 years living in before coming to Tokyo.
Vancouver is multi-cultural city, filled with people of every race, religion and creed standing up for themselves to voice support for every type of special-interest group imaginable. In fact I can't remember the last time I passed in front of the Vancouver Public Art Gallery without some sort of "revolution" - no matter how in-articulated its members were - taking place.
I suppose it comes down to this,
Unlike Canada were numerous cultures battle for main stream recognition
the Japanese are not exposed to various cultures and know of no other way of life: Most people in Japan are Japanese and their happy with the way things are.
At the same time they've been raised to be less independent minded and actually do not expect life to be as "ideal" or "free" as we would all like it to be;
they understand this:
life choices affect other people and invlolve a series of compramis' one after another. That everyone must to a degree sacrifice their own interests in support of the group; be it the salary-man going to a job everyday to support his family or the star-batter taking a walk to safely get a run safely in.
I think both cultures have a great deal to learn from one another.
