Comments on: Back when Japanese knew manners …

By: billywest

billywest — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 05:03:31 +0000

Wasn’t that one of the main themes of ‘No Country For Old Men?’ Older folks often tend to feel that the world has changed or passed them by, but in reality, there’s nothing new under the sun; Older folks often just tend to feel so disconnected they can no longer relate today’s world to the one of their past.

By: Aki

Aki — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 23:47:58 +0000

Just for information, I have seen what I wrote above in real time. But I understand that people tend to believe what they want to believe.

By: Ret

Ret — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 19:36:09 +0000

False. People always say these things, but when you talk to old timers, they’ll tell you things were at least as bad back in the ‘good old days’.

By: Aki

Aki — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 02:23:10 +0000

I think it was true until early 1970s. Baby boomers initially changed the social behavior of people in the 1970s. I think that people’s manners in public transport are getting worse these days, I mean, after 1990s.

By: azumarisan

azumarisan — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:27:13 +0000

When i went over a couple of years ago my husband (japanese) was the only one on the train that stood up and gave his seat to this mentally handicapped guy. Everyone else just looked down at their feet or pretended to be busy. I think it’s pretty apalling. I’ve never seen anyone get up for an elderly person or pregnant lady either.

By: sonzai

sonzai — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 10:44:03 +0000

Man, having lived in Japan in the late ’90s and then coming back for a 3-month stay last spring/summer, I can assure you that it’s better NOW than it was then! I don’t know what that person at the Times is smoking…which, by the way, is another manner’s issue that has improved greatly over the ten years I was away.