Many of you may know of the practice in schools called o-soji (beginning in primary schools) when children clean classrooms, corridors and shared spaces for about twenty minutes after lunch accompanied by music piped over the school PA system. The students are divided into teams with each one assigned a specific area. It isn’t some kind of money-saving tactic: the idea is that children learn about teamwork, responsibility and respect for shared spaces.
And it appears to work! Japan must be the cleanest country in the world. As it’s Sue’s turn to be poorly today (normal comment response service will resume tomorrow) and we have yet to explore Beppu, onsen capital of Japan, we share with you a few of our many observations of what some might even perceive as Japan’s OCD about cleanliness.
We never see litter (or rubbish bins); there’s always somebody tidying up or weeding – or signs of somebody about to do this.
Everything has its place including the robot lawn mower:
Even the parking is immaculate – all vehicles facing in the same direction and completely parallel:
(By the way, these blunt-nosed little vehicles are very popular – probably more than half the cars we see are like this.)
Street furniture is polished to an immaculate shine and even the manhole covers are beautiful – and clean!
Any building work is covered with protection, often with a man hosing down any dust all the time. And there are often apologies for the disruption:
And the recycling – always behind netting or tidied away in different guises:
Even the detritus from the sea in Aoshima was neatly arranged:
There are many signs educating those who might be ignorant how to behave:
This extends to apologising for behaviour that’s not up to the usual expectations. This sign on a bus is explaining why the driver might not be wearing a tie:
And then, of course, there are the toilets about which much has been written. Do watch the video for the latest in hands-free going to the loo:
I didn’t demonstrate the hands-free flushing and lid-closing – but take my word for it.
Lovethose Japanese loos,did it play you a tune. The tunnel reminds me of tellytubby land.
I think it possibly could but all those additional functions came with separate buttons and it never seems quite the moment to start randomly pressing buttons? Quite a lot of the signs verge on teletubby land…
I’m guessing there are some who might cringe at all this excessive order, but it makes my own ocd heart sing. I’m guessing most signs are for the dastardly foreign tourist who missed out on kindergarten training? Best wishes to Sue for recovery.
Well, yes, my ocd heart sings too – and the signs, while graphically clear, are heavily underlined in Japanese – so not just foreigners being kept in line..
I have sent this to a WhatsApp group that I’m in that specialises in bin chat. They’re going to love it.
I love the idea of a WhatsApp group that specialises in bin chat!
Here in Darlinghurst Sydney, we could do with a bit of ocd
Get well Sue…..
Thanks, Nicky, I’m feeling much better this evening – just need to eat something! And yes, Belsize Park could also do with a bit of ocd.
As Tara correctly identified – there are people who cringe at this excessive ocd. And I’m one of them! Gives me the absolute heebie jeebies and the urge to throw rubbish around. And I’m usually the one picking it up. Sorry that Sue is now ill. Hope you have recovered/are recovering and it hasn’t spoilt your trip too much.
Maybe Japan isn’t for you – the urge to throw rubbish around would definitely be frowned on! I’m feeling better tonight, thank you – though Japanese food can be a bit of a challenge.
Poor old Sue, hope you’re feeling better soon! Still it could have been worse, you could both have been ill at the same time. The tidiness is as you would expect from a nation that’s made being OCD into an art form – does make you want to do something transgressive just to break the stifling monotony of it. Hope neither of you have indulged in any such urges!
Certainly not! If anything, we have become just a little more focused on stray crumbs and leaving tables wiped and clean. I’m feeling better today and you’re quite right – if we’d both been sick at the same time, it really would have been horrible.