Lessons from Japan: How Manners and Respect can improve your commute
By Dr Jemma Regan
The changing of the leaves and the shift in nature’s colours reminds me of autumn leaf hunting in Japan this time last year. What impacted on me most about this amazing place was not the beauty of the nature, nor the fantastic food, but the people’s ubiquitous sense of respect. Tokyo is the world’s most densely populated urban area with 36 million residents; it is home to the most complex of rail systems and forty-five of the world’s fifty busiest train stations. That’s a lot of commuters.
Travelling in this city should have been nightmarish, yet compared to my experiences in London, New York, Rio and Delhi, it was dreamlike. Why was this? Short answer: manners and respect. Both concepts the Japanese people have and express in abundance.
I offer five tips for improving the commute in our own cities, based on these Japanese principles:
In an expensive world, manners cost nothing!
Japan is a spiritual place and this spirituality is evident in every part of daily practice, included crowded travel. You don’t need to be inspired by Shintoism or Buddhist concepts to practice this yourself. I notice in London when people want to sit down on a bus, they say ‘sorry’ (negative) when they could say ‘excuse me, can I sit down, please?’ (positive). I also always make a point of saying ‘thank you’ to the driver when I tap on the bus, something rarely seen in London travel.
Slow Down!
Patience is a virtue. Be calm and relax on the journey. I take this as my ‘daydreaming’ time. A space to exercise patience. I think London operates on a ‘30 second’ minute – everything moves twice as fast. You don’t have to keep up with this. You don’t have to react to what is happening around you – the constant beep of the buttons, the announcements, the people getting up and down. Choose a space of meditation rather than agitation.
Keep Perspective!
Is it really the end of the world to wait 5 minutes in a queue or to wait for the next train? I find humour in some scenarios on the bus. Peoples’ snippets of conversation amuse me. Laugh out loud! People may think you’re crazy, but if it improves the journey, why not?!
Unplug!
Japan is the epicentre of technological culture, yet on transport there was not the same bombardment to the senses experienced in London. Devices were used quietly, discreetly, or not at all, music wasn’t blaring, this was altogether more pleasant for everyone involved.
Create space!
Command space, don’t demand space. The structured queuing system for Japanese trains eliminates the need for pushing and shoving when getting on and off the trains. Yet in London, some feel it is necessary for us to jostle each other out of the way. Let people off or on first, don’t push people forward to speed them up. Keep the flow going at a natural pace and the space will manifest.
A respectful commuter is a happy traveller! Happy Travelling!
