Will Miss #32 - such nice, clean people (reflection)

As I mentioned in the "won't miss" portion of this two-part post, Japanese people aren't necessarily as clean as their reputation would lead one to believe. People litter, and there aren't as strict laws in place to punish them for doing so in Japan like there are in the U.S. More than one student would complain to me that people would throw their trash bags out their car windows on the highway and there was either no law to stop them, it was not enforced, or the punishment wasn't severe enough to cause people to dispose of the trash properly. 

The main difference between Japanese folks and Americans on this front is that the Japanese were meticulous about keeping the spaces around their businesses or homes clean. They'd take matters in hand and pick up after others. This kept areas looking nice. Here in the U.S., there is often trash in the streets in front of stores, and it can remain there for a long time because no one picks up after passersby who litter. 

I still miss the fact that Japanese people had an ethic which said that it didn't matter who created the problem when it came to litter or dirt. Regardless of who messed it up, someone would clean it up.

Won't Miss #204 - willful (and pointless) littering

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 people think. Someone is just always cleaning up after everyone else. The one thing which I have witnessed time and again (as have others) is willful littering. That is when people have the option to throw trash into a bin, but choose to throw it on the ground. Most recently, a young man went into a convenience store, bought something and walked outside where he proceeded to crumple his receipt up and toss it to the ground. He not only ignored the trash can right behind him, but the little cups that are in front of the cash register in that shop where you can put your receipt if you don't want it. After tossing his trash into the street, he went back into the store.

I don't understand the people who seem to willfully bypass every opportunity to throw trash into a proper place so they can litter and I won't miss it.

Won't Miss #74 - butts in bushes

During my earlier days in Japan, I used to work in Shinjuku, a major business district in Tokyo. On the corner near my office, there was a bowling-ball sized and shaped ashtray half-full of water. People would casually toss their cigarettes in there all day until it filled up and the water wasn't sufficient to put out the cigarettes. It smoldered and stunk badly. Those ashtrays were removed at some point and now people are supposed to carry little personal ashtrays that look a bit like a round ended lipstick tube with a flip top. As you can imagine, many people don't like to carry their own ashtrays. These people have a maneuver down pat to allow them to toss their butts in the bushes where they become somebody else's problem. If you are walking along and see someone duck down quickly in what appears to be a move to pluck a dropped item off the ground, you're actually seeing a smoker extinguishing his butt and flicking it in the bushes at lightning speed (so he doesn't get caught as this is not allowed).

I won't miss this flagrant littering and disregard for the rules.