Some puzzling public behaviour

DISCLAIMER: Now, before you think that this is a complaint about Japan, I'd like to clarify that I'm more bemused and baffled by this behaviour than anything else.

After living here for some time now (primarily in Tokyo), I'm wondering if someone can please explain some bizarre public behaviour I've seen here.

1) Puke Pillow: Get so blasted that you pass out on the street (usually a well-traveled one) and sleep in your own vomit. I've visited many cities throughout the world, and I have to say that I've never seen so much puke in my life.

2) Diggin for Treasure, Mm..Tastes Good: On more than several occasions (as if one wasn't enough), I've seen men and boys on the JR trains pick their nose and taste their "findings." Not only was I thoroughly disgusted with this, but after a while I started feeling rather irritated that the offender made no attempts to hide his disgusting habit!

3) The World's My Toilet: Usually drunk (but not necessarily the rule), the offender will unzip and relieve him or herself (yes, I saw a woman do it once) either along a building (men, obviously) or in/around a bush. Japan offers probably the cleanest public toilets I've ever seen, and yet, somehow, they seem to be out of grasp of these individuals.

4) Beware the Hidden Hand: What's with the public groping? How did this begin and why is it so out of control? And I'm not just talking about the trains. I was at a club and this guy was trying to feel up my friend (woman). He missed her and hit pay dirt with with me. Let's just say that I hope his hand is all healed up by now.

I realize that some of you don't live in Tokyo and maybe this is a Tokyo-specific phenomenon, but any insight would help me to ride out by time here with relative easiness.

Thanks in advance.

Shibuyaexpat said:

DISCLAIMER: Now, before you think that this is a complaint about Japan, I'd like to clarify that I'm more bemused and baffled by this behaviour than anything else.

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You want Mike for this lot.

2)'s news to me - but otherwise I think I've read about the rest before.

Think about this.
All these acts are commited generally by a few narrow social groups.

Read: Salarymen, otakus and dorky college boys that grow up to be salarymen.

Salarymen, the fould disgusting socially inept scourge of any english teacher.

Oh, I see lots of people peeing on buildings in Chicago. It's not that big of a deal.
I've also seen people eat their "boogers" too. I don't find it offensive, only a little odd.
Grope and runs? Oh come on! That's not exclusive to Japan! It's everywhere a horny man is.

I also think that the majority of this happens anywhere...
Where I lived in Seoul there was an overbridge that we would call 'Pizza Bridge'. Never would a night go by without somebody adding to the topping... Im just sorry for any of the cars that are driving underneath. Down the road leading to 'Pizza Bridge' there was always somebody comatose on the footpath, quite interesting to watch really.
When in Cambodia we would go to bars where there was no choice but to go behind a bush, or wander into a paddock, worrying about landmines etc...
Im with Baldir on the grubby fingered men... they are everywhere!
However my friends 60 year old mum got groped a goodie on a subway in Japan, disgusted her to no end.
Nose picking happens alot in lots of places too... not so sure about tasting the treasure... I tend to turn away as soon as the finger goes in, not something I want to stare at and get grossed out by.

Yesterday while I was waiting for the last train home from Osaka, I counted 15 people sleeping in the station. Started to look apealing after awhile.

You havent tried sleeping on the train yet? Oh its one of my favourite things to do, you dont have anywhere to look anyway... I just sort of go into a semi slumber.. occasionaly I fall fast asleep and wake up when I drop my handbag and everything goes everywhere... of course its always easier to sleep when you are in the end seat by the rail, you sort of have somewhere to rest your head against. Hmm maybe I will just pop down to the subway for a quick nap....
Managed to fall asleep on Thai buses too, yet back home I never could sleep on transport, Im glad that I learnt to, because now I can sleep on planes too
Give it a go! Its perfect for power naps, just be sure that you know where your stop is, and programme your mind into knowing when you have to get off.

N.B: Sorry just looked back and saw that you meant in the actual station... not the train, accept my humblest apologies

If you peed on the street in New York you'd be arrested. Biiiig culture shock, I guess.

hmhm, I've heard that public urination is commonplace in New York, due to the lack of public restrooms...

I can't think of an American city where you wouldn't be arrested for it, if you were caught.

1) I've slept at a station before. Completely sober. At Fukuoka's Hakata Station to be exact. Twice. 5 years apart. Didn't actually get much sleep to tell you the truth. Homeless people often hang out around the station and there are drunk businessmen who missed the last train home or whatever camped out as well. So they were my inspiration.


3) During my first trip to Japan we were told by friends from Kyushu that peeing in public was legal for males. Thus began a joke debate and poll among the dozen or so Americans on the trip about whether females should be allowed to pee in public.


4) Isn't that why they made the train cars in which only women can ride in? It exists. Is bad. But of course is not exclusive to Japan. Much worse often occurs in the states.

nice gaijin said:

hmhm, I've heard that public urination is commonplace in New York, due to the lack of public restrooms...

I can't think of an American city where you wouldn't be arrested for it, if you were caught.

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Still, most people don't do it in plain sight. Not that it's any less unsanitary if you do it in an alley!

1,2,3 and 4... You've obviously never been to London.

gaijin_girl said:

If you peed on the street in New York you'd be arrested. Biiiig culture shock, I guess.

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I've seen many homeless looking peeps in NYC sleeping in thier own piss and vomit.

I was amazed, however, in Yokohama to see this old man walking down the street completly bare-*** naked. Everybody just walked by him like he wasn't even there.

Wow.that's scary!