Japanese Society

Typical Japanese Roofs in the Countryside

Once again it was very noticeable that there is a huge difference in the way the Japanese behave in their society.  As you know recently they have endured three biblical sized disasters; the biggest earthquake in their history; the tsunami, and finally the nuclear melt down at their reactor.  Granted there have been some protests at the way the government and the electrical company have handled the affair, but in general the Japanese have gone about their business in their usual stoical way.

Just before boarding the airport bus from Tokyo to Narita, I noticed the little man who was looking after the small shelter from where the bus departs.  He was in the words of my grandfather "a shilling short," or in modern parlance a sandwich short of a full picnic.  Nonethless he wore his waistcoat with some pride and he busied himself with the "management" of the shelter.  He had a pair of kitchen tongs and a discarded plastic bag and he would run around picking up any trash that blew into his area.  He also called someone on a cell phone that they had left on one of the buses.  I'm sure he put in a full day and I'm also certain he didn't complain or whine about his lowly lot.  Our society could learn a lot from him.