![]() However, the traditional belief in pine trees, with their evergreen foliage, as symbols of “longevity, steadfastness and endurance,” was not shaken, and adjacent to the fallen Ancient Pine, the even older “Fabled Pine” stood firm, suffering only minor damage (Goto and Naka 2016, 75). The Ancient Pine had been an inspiration, surviving earthquakes, fires, and the American bombing in WW2, and seeing its vulnerability exposed by the typhoon came initially as a shock. Some prayed, while others simply bowed and said silent goodbyes. In mid-October, 2019, however, the mood was very different, as visitors who would normally be walking the forest trail, letting nature wash over them, instead congregated around the 300-year-old “Ancient Pine” that had been toppled by the fierce winds brought by Typhoon Hagibis the previous day. The Institute for Nature Study forest, in the Tokyo ward of Meguro, is an island of calm in the hustle and bustle of the city, and has become a favourite spot for Tokyo residents wanting to escape the city’s stresses. Key Words: Japan, Public Parks, Shrine Forests, Bonsai, Shinrin-yoku Focussing on Tokyo, where the apparent disconnect with the past is most stark, this article looks at old trees in public parks, shrine forests, and old bonsai, and argues that that beneath the city’s modern veneer, these trees allow residents to feel close to nature, and stay connected with the history, myths and traditions the trees evoke. Or just stick it sneakily into one of those vending machine bottle/can holes.Abstract: Ninety percent of Japanese people live in cities, seemingly disconnected from the agrarian world their ancestors inhabited in premodern Japan. We ignore the ridiculous dearth of bins and bring our trash all the way home, where we dutifully separate it into burnable, non-burnable, plastic, paper and so on and so on. Wondering why the trains are so clean? It’s because us Tokyoites don’t litter. ![]() Don’t even think about cutting your nails, shaving or – uhh – trimming your nasal hair (we’ve witnessed all of the above). What’s that? A pizza slice on the Tokyo-bound Chuo line at 7.30am? Get out.Ī quick fix-up is fine, but painting and powdering your entire face in close quarters should seriously be avoided. Also, there’s no need to push others onto the platform when disembarking – a polite sumimasen will do.įew of your co-riders will complain about a quick afternoon onigiri on a less-than-crowded local train, whereas messy and/or smelly delicacies are strictly off limits. Leaning lightly on fellow riders in order to get in or out is often necessary, but elbowing or body-checking the poor guy standing in your way simply isn’t. This one should be pretty obvious – in fact, failing to follow this rule at crowded times might even get you trampled, so hold your horses. DO: Let other passengers off the train first. How much effort can it really take to step outside the train for a few seconds, let everyone else get off, and step back in?Ĥ. You know that feeling when you’re trying to get off the train and there’s a guy standing right in front of the open door, simply refusing to move? DON’T BE THAT GUY. Oh yeah, Suica also has a cute penguin on it. It removes the need for playing around with paper tickets, makes passing through ticket gates quicker and even allows you to track where you’ve been. If at all possible, get a Suica or Pasmo card, charge it up and get moving. Exceptions are only allowed when the signs tell you they are, which actually does happen here and there. On the escalators, in the corridors, you name it – walk on the right, stand on the left is the standard. The most basic of rules, this one is hard and fast. Study, we say, study, and you’ll eventually be ready to step into the sea of humanity and navigate the city’s awe-inspiring transport network like it ain’t no big deal.ġ. So, inspired by our friends over at Time Out London, we’ve put together a 15-point guide to train etiquette: what to do, what not to do, and what you just might get away doing without attracting the dreaded disapproving looks. Now that’s something you’d like to avoid, no? getting stared at (ooh, the horror) by a grumpy salaryman when one fails to follow the code. ![]() ![]() Learning these densha dictates takes time, and is often accomplished through the time-honoured method of trial and error, i.e. There are also quite a few written and unwritten rules of train-taking that, if followed, make everyone’s journey more comfortable, less frustrating and simply better. Yes, absolutely, but they can also be claustrophobic, scary and confusing, especially if you’re a Tokyo newcomer and/or riding during the rush hour. Trains in this great city of ours are supremely convenient, always (well, almost) on time, and just all-round awesome. ![]()
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