So earlier I wrote some thoughts on how people abandon things here in Japan. It’s certainly not unique to this culture, but perhaps there are some unique aspects.

I posted two pictures of the same bicycle, one year apart. The first time I saw the bicycle, (the “before” picture), I struck by it’s state. And so I proceeded to snap a pic. Of course, when I saw it again, (the “after” picture), I was simply impressed that no one made the effort to remove it…in over a year!

Having spoken to some Japanese about this idea of just ignoring something like a mud-caked bicycle, it seemed there was a consensus that there was no point in paying any mind to something that may still belong to someone. I raised the idea that perhaps it was purposefully ditched by the owner, perhaps to avoid scrapyard fees, or it was left there after being stolen by someone else. Again, the same sentiment was expressed: it’s not ours, let it be.

I suppose one unique point about that feeling is the notion of easily writing things off so long as they are not yours. Prime example: the other day a lady knocked a shirt off of a rack at a store. She didn’t realize it, walking away. Others walked by, stepping over the shirt, while going about their business. Perhaps in the West, a passerby is more likely to pick the shirt up and hang it as a courtesy…or in the case of the bicycle, report it to the authorities, or simply haul the offending thing out, especially if they’re one of land owners there.

By no means is this any kind of verdict on Japanese behavior, but rather an exercise of observation into not only an interesting culture, but my own notions and biases.