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Somebody give this country some lights
The Japanese are a badass people, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
Sweden is a pretty rude country, at least in comparison. And I'm rude even for Sweden, if I'm going to be completely honest. I struggle somewhat with 'please's and 'thank you's because, for some reason, they feel wrong in my mouth. I'm getting better about it, seeing as it's just kind of a given to let people know you appreciate something they've done, and it's kind of pleasant in general or something.
Japan is incredibly polite in that way. Because of this, they might come off as somewhat meek and quiet and ... stuff. In a way I guess that's not completely out there. And as much as Japan is one of cleanliest and safest countries in the world - a place where you can leave your bag and jacket and stuff in your bike and be certain that it'll still be there when you come back - it's also a place that works against you in all kinds of ways.
At least if you don't have a car. And somewhat even then.
It's not news that they don't have a lot of space. I think everyone knows that. Sweden is quite a lot bigger, but we have much fewer people. We have so much space, with forests that stretch for kilometers upon kilometers, and we can build big, with wide spaces. Japan builds high because they have hardly any space anywhere else, and their living spaces are generally small.
And it's not just the buildings. It's everything. Biking in Japan is awful. I haven't liked biking much for a long time, especially not at high speeds. I think I developed that attitude after a particularly bad fall when my siblings and I raced down a hill. Let's just say that after my homestay period, when I biked about three hours every day, I've gained a sort of trust in my own abilities on a bike.
Unless it's a big road - and sometimes even then - if there is a walkway at all, it's narrow. On one side you have either a wall to someone's yard, bushes or even buildings, and on the other you either have some barrier - thick cement or metal railing - blocking the way to the road or just the road with cars rushing by.
To get to school I had to cross two bridges. Which, by the way, were pretty narrow for half of it, when the cars needed three lanes. In between those bridges, there is one stretch where you have a lovely cement barrier. Beside every road are asphalt lids with holes in them covering the sewer system. They're maybe half a meter wide, if even that. 40 cm? Something liike that. Right before a traffic light, the walkway inexplicably narrows to only that half meter, with the cement on the other side. It's just enough space for one bike to pass through. The first time, I ended up sort of hopping along it with one foot on the barrier, but very soon I managed to get myself to actually bike through it.
I really don't like biking much.
Never mind the short stretch of one-bike-fit, though. Usually, you can just fit two bikes next to each other on the walkways in Japan. And Japanese people don't bike on the road with the cars. Supposedly people should bike on the left side of the road, but if you know anything about people you know that we don't listen to those kind of rules. We go on any side. I do try to mostly go on the left, but if that's just bothersome, I don't.
Inevitably, you're going to meet another bike. At first I much preferred stopping, trying to take up as little space as possible and letting the other bike pass. Now I can actually keep biking myself too, but every time I feel like a crash is somewhat inevitable and while I try to keep up the speed enough that it's easy to hold the bike steady, it's incredibly difficult for me to do so.
The Japanese just swish by. In fact, quite often, they bike side by side as they chat. When two bikes can only just fit. I'm enchanted every time I see it.
And then, the drivers just don't care. In Sweden, if there's no walkway or bikelane for people to bike on, the drivers generally slow down and pass with a lot of space if possible, and if not possible, if they pass at all it's very slowly. In Japan, you have to make sure there's enough space so you don't get hit yourself. While the cars will more or less yield if there's room, if there's not they're very likely to just go right ahead anyway, without necessarily slowing down.
I have had to got into a habit of not going further to the side if there's a pillar of any sort up ahead, because either I stop, collide with the pillar or hold a line that makes it possible for me to go past the pillar. Several times cars have passed me with something like a decimeter between me and them. In Japan, you have to hold a straight line. And I mean hold it. No one will fix space for you. Take just as much space as you need, and you'll be fine.
At the same time, though, I must say a lot of them are very nice in that they let you pass when I'm pretty sure they're technically the ones that should pass first. If they see you, they'll let you through.
Then there are the lights. Japan has no. Streetlights. Or if they do, they probably don't light up the street properly anyway. Since I have afternoon classes, when I was in the homestay I had to bike home in the dark, and it is incredibly bad. I'm still puzzled as to why they do that. I've seen streets with lights that simply didn't have the lights on.
So not only are the streets narrow, the walkways bad or nonexistent, and the cars not quite so careful, you can't really see. The cars provide more light than anything else. So because of that, I actually kind of liked when there was a lot of traffic, as much as it was also kind of terrifying because traffic.
And a lot of the Japanese bike fast, despite all this. I'm in awe, to be honest.
Then, while they're doing that, the girls have an added amazing thing. Japan has school uniforms. This requires girls to wear skirts, and here's the kicker.
They're not allowed to wear tights or leggings with them.
While I have seen some of them, now that it's colder, wear trousers under the skirts that I assume they've carried with them in their bag and just don't wear in school, I have also seen plenty that wait at bus stops, walk or bike home with their legs bare. Now, the winter here is far from as cold as Sweden's can get, and the coldest it's been has been a couple of minus degrees, but there is no way I would go in a skirt without anything else in anything below 15C. Japanese girls do.
Sometimes they do when they're not wearing school uniforms either. In which case I don't know if they're tough or just ... I mean, why would you put yourself through that willingly? I don't really get it.
Still. Respect. That's some hardass shit right there.
Sweden is a pretty rude country, at least in comparison. And I'm rude even for Sweden, if I'm going to be completely honest. I struggle somewhat with 'please's and 'thank you's because, for some reason, they feel wrong in my mouth. I'm getting better about it, seeing as it's just kind of a given to let people know you appreciate something they've done, and it's kind of pleasant in general or something.
Japan is incredibly polite in that way. Because of this, they might come off as somewhat meek and quiet and ... stuff. In a way I guess that's not completely out there. And as much as Japan is one of cleanliest and safest countries in the world - a place where you can leave your bag and jacket and stuff in your bike and be certain that it'll still be there when you come back - it's also a place that works against you in all kinds of ways.
At least if you don't have a car. And somewhat even then.
It's not news that they don't have a lot of space. I think everyone knows that. Sweden is quite a lot bigger, but we have much fewer people. We have so much space, with forests that stretch for kilometers upon kilometers, and we can build big, with wide spaces. Japan builds high because they have hardly any space anywhere else, and their living spaces are generally small.
And it's not just the buildings. It's everything. Biking in Japan is awful. I haven't liked biking much for a long time, especially not at high speeds. I think I developed that attitude after a particularly bad fall when my siblings and I raced down a hill. Let's just say that after my homestay period, when I biked about three hours every day, I've gained a sort of trust in my own abilities on a bike.
Unless it's a big road - and sometimes even then - if there is a walkway at all, it's narrow. On one side you have either a wall to someone's yard, bushes or even buildings, and on the other you either have some barrier - thick cement or metal railing - blocking the way to the road or just the road with cars rushing by.
To get to school I had to cross two bridges. Which, by the way, were pretty narrow for half of it, when the cars needed three lanes. In between those bridges, there is one stretch where you have a lovely cement barrier. Beside every road are asphalt lids with holes in them covering the sewer system. They're maybe half a meter wide, if even that. 40 cm? Something liike that. Right before a traffic light, the walkway inexplicably narrows to only that half meter, with the cement on the other side. It's just enough space for one bike to pass through. The first time, I ended up sort of hopping along it with one foot on the barrier, but very soon I managed to get myself to actually bike through it.
I really don't like biking much.
Never mind the short stretch of one-bike-fit, though. Usually, you can just fit two bikes next to each other on the walkways in Japan. And Japanese people don't bike on the road with the cars. Supposedly people should bike on the left side of the road, but if you know anything about people you know that we don't listen to those kind of rules. We go on any side. I do try to mostly go on the left, but if that's just bothersome, I don't.
Inevitably, you're going to meet another bike. At first I much preferred stopping, trying to take up as little space as possible and letting the other bike pass. Now I can actually keep biking myself too, but every time I feel like a crash is somewhat inevitable and while I try to keep up the speed enough that it's easy to hold the bike steady, it's incredibly difficult for me to do so.
The Japanese just swish by. In fact, quite often, they bike side by side as they chat. When two bikes can only just fit. I'm enchanted every time I see it.
And then, the drivers just don't care. In Sweden, if there's no walkway or bikelane for people to bike on, the drivers generally slow down and pass with a lot of space if possible, and if not possible, if they pass at all it's very slowly. In Japan, you have to make sure there's enough space so you don't get hit yourself. While the cars will more or less yield if there's room, if there's not they're very likely to just go right ahead anyway, without necessarily slowing down.
I have had to got into a habit of not going further to the side if there's a pillar of any sort up ahead, because either I stop, collide with the pillar or hold a line that makes it possible for me to go past the pillar. Several times cars have passed me with something like a decimeter between me and them. In Japan, you have to hold a straight line. And I mean hold it. No one will fix space for you. Take just as much space as you need, and you'll be fine.
At the same time, though, I must say a lot of them are very nice in that they let you pass when I'm pretty sure they're technically the ones that should pass first. If they see you, they'll let you through.
Then there are the lights. Japan has no. Streetlights. Or if they do, they probably don't light up the street properly anyway. Since I have afternoon classes, when I was in the homestay I had to bike home in the dark, and it is incredibly bad. I'm still puzzled as to why they do that. I've seen streets with lights that simply didn't have the lights on.
So not only are the streets narrow, the walkways bad or nonexistent, and the cars not quite so careful, you can't really see. The cars provide more light than anything else. So because of that, I actually kind of liked when there was a lot of traffic, as much as it was also kind of terrifying because traffic.
And a lot of the Japanese bike fast, despite all this. I'm in awe, to be honest.
Then, while they're doing that, the girls have an added amazing thing. Japan has school uniforms. This requires girls to wear skirts, and here's the kicker.
They're not allowed to wear tights or leggings with them.
While I have seen some of them, now that it's colder, wear trousers under the skirts that I assume they've carried with them in their bag and just don't wear in school, I have also seen plenty that wait at bus stops, walk or bike home with their legs bare. Now, the winter here is far from as cold as Sweden's can get, and the coldest it's been has been a couple of minus degrees, but there is no way I would go in a skirt without anything else in anything below 15C. Japanese girls do.
Sometimes they do when they're not wearing school uniforms either. In which case I don't know if they're tough or just ... I mean, why would you put yourself through that willingly? I don't really get it.
Still. Respect. That's some hardass shit right there.