Trivia :: Elevators

thomas · Nov 9, 2002, 20:07

Japan is always considered to be a thoroughly homogenous society, yet there are local differences in behaviour that cannot be easily explained. It's obviously a known fact that people riding escalators in Tokyo stand on the left side to let others pass them by at the right side. In Osaka on the other hand people stand on the right side in order to let the hurried ones pass by on the left. Interesting insight, ne?
;)

"Quirky" Ed has an explanation for that:

Q. Have you ever noticed that on an escalator in the Kanto and Tokai all people are standing immobile on the left side, while in the Kansai it is on the right side. Why is that ?

A. According to one unverified theory, the answer lies in the different histories of the two areas. During the Edo period, Kanto (Tokyo area) had more samurai whereas Kansai (Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe) had more merchants. When they went up and down stairs, samurai wanted to be on the left side so that they could draw their swords more easily. Merchants wanted to protect their wallets from thieves, so they stayed on the right. Modern escalator etiquette is a holdover from those days. Answer kindly submitted by Cathy Otty

Additional Comment from JB: The samurai not only walked on the left to be able to draw their sword from a more advantages position but to walk on the left also avoided that swords
and scabbards were accidentally touched by people coming from the other direction when walking down the street. An insult that could result in bloodshed.

=> http://www3.tky.3web.ne.jp/~edjacob/saq.html

On Usenet someone else mentioned that this habit was introduced in Osaka during the Expo 1972 in order not to confuse foreigners. Mysterious Japan.

moyashi · Nov 11, 2002, 01:30

hehe, I stare at the back sometimes and then profusely cough on purpose.
Other times if I'm with a friend we'll start talking about AIDS especially if the elevator is really packed.

thomas · Nov 11, 2002, 01:55

Eating garlic could also be a remedy in crowded places, hehe. Btw, garlic can become a marital issue too.

Twisted · Nov 11, 2002, 03:58

@Marital issue
I know, but then again, compared to some Thai dishes, garlic is a welcome relief.

thomas · Nov 11, 2002, 05:16

My wife prepared Thai curry today, you know that devilish green stuff. Burning from inside out, ouch.

moyashi · Nov 11, 2002, 09:16

Natto is enough to keep me on my side of the bed

samuraitora · Nov 12, 2002, 13:36

lol...your guys too funny...my wife has kicked me out of the bed a while ago...still waiting to be reinvited...lol

moyashi · Nov 12, 2002, 16:00

Don't say that since I'm stuck to camping out in the living room until my snoring disappears.

errrrrrrr

thomas · Nov 12, 2002, 20:10

So relieved to hear it's not only me!!

deborah gormley · Nov 13, 2002, 08:08

you poor fella's,

(I mean that sincerely

)
Snoreing is like part of my sleep patern,lol,, its due to the fact that as a child and young adult I lived at home with seven very loud breathing men(thats what my mum calls it) and on one accasion all my family went on hoilday all except my younger sister and myself, (due to work commitments) and the first night we could not sleep, the second night we both ended up in our mum and dads bed almost terrified of the silence, lol, I beleive I was maybe 22 years old at the time,so my family leaving home should not have caused a problem, but the silence did!

Snoreing is part of life for men, and should be accepted as that

moyashi · Nov 13, 2002, 17:20

hehe, my wife has a full queen size bed to herself.
If she moves me out permanently I'm going to sell the bugger and buy 2 singles ... revenge !!!

Hey Debs would you tell my wife that!

deborah gormley · Nov 16, 2002, 02:57

@ moyashi

buy 2 singles ... revenge !!!

She would kill you!! lolol,,, at telling your wife? "NO!!!" not untill your beautyful baby is at least 6 months old, (she'd kill me!)lolol you know only too well what new "moms" are like

Nov 9, 2002, 20:07	#1
thomas Decommissioned ex-admin Join Date: Mar 14, 2002 Posts: 4,209	Trivia :: Elevators Japan is always considered to be a thoroughly homogenous society, yet there are local differences in behaviour that cannot be easily explained. It's obviously a known fact that people riding escalators in Tokyo stand on the left side to let others pass them by at the right side. In Osaka on the other hand people stand on the right side in order to let the hurried ones pass by on the left. Interesting insight, ne? ;) "Quirky" Ed has an explanation for that: Q. Have you ever noticed that on an escalator in the Kanto and Tokai all people are standing immobile on the left side, while in the Kansai it is on the right side. Why is that ? A. According to one unverified theory, the answer lies in the different histories of the two areas. During the Edo period, Kanto (Tokyo area) had more samurai whereas Kansai (Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe) had more merchants. When they went up and down stairs, samurai wanted to be on the left side so that they could draw their swords more easily. Merchants wanted to protect their wallets from thieves, so they stayed on the right. Modern escalator etiquette is a holdover from those days. Answer kindly submitted by Cathy Otty Additional Comment from JB: The samurai not only walked on the left to be able to draw their sword from a more advantages position but to walk on the left also avoided that swords and scabbards were accidentally touched by people coming from the other direction when walking down the street. An insult that could result in bloodshed. => http://www3.tky.3web.ne.jp/~edjacob/saq.html On Usenet someone else mentioned that this habit was introduced in Osaka during the Expo 1972 in order not to confuse foreigners. Mysterious Japan. __________________ Remember what the dormouse said, feed your head, feed your head!

Nov 11, 2002, 01:30	#2
moyashi Regular Member Join Date: Apr 15, 2002 Location: SonyLand Age: 40 Posts: 1,566	hehe, I stare at the back sometimes and then profusely cough on purpose. Other times if I'm with a friend we'll start talking about AIDS especially if the elevator is really packed. __________________ crazy gonna crazy

Nov 11, 2002, 03:58	#4
Twisted That man in the corner Join Date: Mar 15, 2002 Location: The Netherlands Age: 35 Posts: 1,456	@Marital issue I know, but then again, compared to some Thai dishes, garlic is a welcome relief. __________________ ZenLog Earotic

Nov 12, 2002, 13:36	#7
samuraitora Regular Member Join Date: May 29, 2002 Location: Detroit MI Age: 35 Posts: 782	lol...your guys too funny...my wife has kicked me out of the bed a while ago...still waiting to be reinvited...lol __________________ ja mata samuraitora (^_-)/

Nov 13, 2002, 08:08	#10
deborah gormley Regular Member Join Date: Apr 19, 2002 Location: Nr. Ireland. Age: 40 Posts: 829	you poor fella's, (I mean that sincerely ) Snoreing is like part of my sleep patern,lol,, its due to the fact that as a child and young adult I lived at home with seven very loud breathing men(thats what my mum calls it) and on one accasion all my family went on hoilday all except my younger sister and myself, (due to work commitments) and the first night we could not sleep, the second night we both ended up in our mum and dads bed almost terrified of the silence, lol, I beleive I was maybe 22 years old at the time,so my family leaving home should not have caused a problem, but the silence did! Snoreing is part of life for men, and should be accepted as that __________________ Debs

Nov 11, 2002, 01:55	#3
thomas Decommissioned ex-admin Join Date: Mar 14, 2002 Posts: 4,209	Eating garlic could also be a remedy in crowded places, hehe. Btw, garlic can become a marital issue too.

Nov 11, 2002, 05:16	#5
thomas Decommissioned ex-admin Join Date: Mar 14, 2002 Posts: 4,209	My wife prepared Thai curry today, you know that devilish green stuff. Burning from inside out, ouch.

Nov 11, 2002, 09:16	#6
moyashi Regular Member Join Date: Apr 15, 2002 Location: SonyLand Age: 40 Posts: 1,566	Natto is enough to keep me on my side of the bed

Nov 12, 2002, 16:00	#8
moyashi Regular Member Join Date: Apr 15, 2002 Location: SonyLand Age: 40 Posts: 1,566	Don't say that since I'm stuck to camping out in the living room until my snoring disappears. errrrrrrr

Nov 12, 2002, 20:10	#9
thomas Decommissioned ex-admin Join Date: Mar 14, 2002 Posts: 4,209	So relieved to hear it's not only me!!

Nov 13, 2002, 17:20	#11
moyashi Regular Member Join Date: Apr 15, 2002 Location: SonyLand Age: 40 Posts: 1,566	hehe, my wife has a full queen size bed to herself. If she moves me out permanently I'm going to sell the bugger and buy 2 singles ... revenge !!! Hey Debs would you tell my wife that!

Nov 16, 2002, 02:57	#12
deborah gormley Regular Member Join Date: Apr 19, 2002 Location: Nr. Ireland. Age: 40 Posts: 829	@ moyashi buy 2 singles ... revenge !!! She would kill you!! lolol,,, at telling your wife? "NO!!!" not untill your beautyful baby is at least 6 months old, (she'd kill me!)lolol you know only too well what new "moms" are like

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