Kneel 0 Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 Service may not be personal but at least it is efficient and pleasant rather than be the opposite of both of those. Link to post Share on other sites
bushpig 0 Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 not so efficient when they don't know the answer to your question. Then you just get a brick wall. Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 Well I'm sure that in the big cities there's a bit more crime than here in little old Kutchan. What amazes me also is that in a small country town in Australia there would most likely be plenty of vandalism and graffiti by disaffected youth with nothing better to do but here in Kutchan where there is still bugger all for the youth to do I have never seen any vandalism at all. If I go into a convenience store I can leave my car running with no fear of it not being there when I get out and I rarely lock up my house if I'm out. Mantas the lack of crime here is mainly due to the lack of hard drug use I'd say. In Aus over 70% of all crime is drug related. Imagine what a different place Aus would be without the drug problems.... Link to post Share on other sites
soubriquet 0 Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 There is social cohesion too. People respect the community rules. With a relatively static population (something economists hate) everyone knows everyone in the neighbourhood. There's an abandoned school near me. Closed for at least 10 years and all the windows are intact. They wouldn't have lasted a week in the UK or Oz. The streets here are full of children as young as 4 roaming and riding their bikes as I used to do in the 1950s. You don't see that in the west. Link to post Share on other sites
Rag-Doll 0 Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 Perhaps I'm just nostalgic for the flame wars of yester year! Everyone is so nice now! Service is one of the great things about Japan. It was a brutal culture shock occasionally going from that to Bond Street in London where the only way to get attention from the bitchy shop assistant was to walk out the door with the product and set off the alarm - it would usually take something like that to get a grudging "can I help you?" HK is pretty good too. Usually very customer originated here too I've found. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 Originally Posted By: Rag-Doll Perhaps I'm just nostalgic for the flame wars of yester year! Everyone is so nice now! Service is one of the great things about Japan. It was a brutal culture shock occasionally going from that to Bond Street in London where the only way to get attention from the bitchy shop assistant was to walk out the door with the product and set off the alarm - it would usually take something like that to get a grudging "can I help you?" HK is pretty good too. Usually very customer originated here too I've found. RD, Shop staff in Bond Street, Old Bond Street and much of Regent Street are from the continent whose service attitude is different to the grudging serfdom attitude that UK people still cannot shake. Link to post Share on other sites
Mantas 3 Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 GN drugs would definitely play a part. How big I cant say. There's probably lots of reasons why. At the end of the day it's a cultural thing. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 Originally Posted By: Go Native Well I'm sure that in the big cities there's a bit more crime than here in little old Kutchan. What amazes me also is that in a small country town in Australia there would most likely be plenty of vandalism and graffiti by disaffected youth with nothing better to do but here in Kutchan where there is still bugger all for the youth to do I have never seen any vandalism at all. If I go into a convenience store I can leave my car running with no fear of it not being there when I get out and I rarely lock up my house if I'm out. Mantas the lack of crime here is mainly due to the lack of hard drug use I'd say. In Aus over 70% of all crime is drug related. Imagine what a different place Aus would be without the drug problems.... GN can you tell us your address and exactly what time in the morning you drive to Seicomart. Link to post Share on other sites
bushpig 0 Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 Wasn't that your snowplow that got taken up there too GN? Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 It was cars and snowploughs. Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 geez you guys... The social cohesion thing is a good point. One big difference between here and Aus also is that there are no fences between houses (fences don't do too well in an area with average snowfalls in excess of 12m). Back in Aus the idea of seeing into your neighbours backyard from your backyard is practically unheard of which I believe helps to alienate people and hampers any feelings of community forming. Here the community feeling is alive and well. I guess in small country towns in Aus it may be similar but I've only ever lived in a country town whilst here in Hokkaido. Link to post Share on other sites
ausi ski bum 1 Posted August 7, 2007 Share Posted August 7, 2007 Originally Posted By: Go Native For me the best thing of living up here in the rural north of Japan is there is virtually no crime at all. It's incredible the difference it makes living in a place devoid from all fear of crime. Where I am in Rural NSW is great too, I never lose my car keys when I am home, they just stay in the ignition. I never feel threatened either, I must admit that was one of the best things about Hokkaido though it was much the same. Link to post Share on other sites
BettyBoo! 0 Posted August 7, 2007 Share Posted August 7, 2007 Quote: I rarely lock up my house if I'm out. Even if there is little crime it seems silly not to - asking for trouble. I have heard of a few break-ins in my area, apparently it is very much on the increase. Link to post Share on other sites
soubriquet 0 Posted August 7, 2007 Share Posted August 7, 2007 Not here. Link to post Share on other sites
BettyBoo! 0 Posted August 7, 2007 Share Posted August 7, 2007 Well perhaps some even slightly intelligent burglars may wish to target your neighbourhoods... Link to post Share on other sites
soubriquet 0 Posted August 7, 2007 Share Posted August 7, 2007 3 1/2 years here and no burglaries yet. Like Go Native people here leave their cars running while they go into the shop. Not me. Our front door is never locked. Otherwise, how could a visitor come into the house? BettyBoo. There aren't any burglars around here. Nor paedophiles. People here leave their houses unlocked and their children roam. That, to me, is freedom. Link to post Share on other sites
indosnm 0 Posted August 7, 2007 Share Posted August 7, 2007 My lady locks the door even if I go out to the conbini, really pisses me off! I still wouldn't leave my house open. Japan is safe but there's still bad shit happening and I can't afford to lose some of my stuff so i'll keep locking the door. It also stops the next doors baba chan from coming into our place my mistake! Link to post Share on other sites
Karnidge 2 Posted August 7, 2007 Share Posted August 7, 2007 Definitely worth locking the door just to prevent the sales people and neighbours from walking in when you're nude. Link to post Share on other sites
soubriquet 0 Posted August 7, 2007 Share Posted August 7, 2007 Everyone is entitled to see me nude, not a pretty sight, so we don't get queues. More seriously, I love to see children 5-6yo roaming on their bikes with insect nets. It's a trust which has been lost in the west. Here children are free, not cocooned. Maybe that's why they grow up to be responsible. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted August 7, 2007 Share Posted August 7, 2007 They may grow up to be responsible but they do get the individuality beaten outa them in Junior High, which I find sad. Link to post Share on other sites
me jane 0 Posted August 7, 2007 Share Posted August 7, 2007 I don't know about the service not being personal. True it's less so than in other countries but in my local convenie they are pretty friendly, they know where I work and often ask me about it or about Mini MT. Oh and takkubin rocks, especially when you have to carry a 9kg baby along with whatever else you buy. (Did I mention that there was no elevator...) Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted August 7, 2007 Share Posted August 7, 2007 I hope you people who leave your doors unlocked do not have cheque books. Read the small print regarding their storage and your liability. Link to post Share on other sites
indosnm 0 Posted August 7, 2007 Share Posted August 7, 2007 cheque books in Japan! Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted August 7, 2007 Share Posted August 7, 2007 The lack of vandalism in Japan is a definite plus. Some of the places people live here are no better than low quality social housing in Britain, for example, but you don't get people scrawling graffiti everywhere, pissing in the lifts, or smashing up the bus stop like you do back home. Link to post Share on other sites
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