The Old School Otaku Lounge

I found this interesting list that was tweeted by Peter Payne. Fun stuff.

I've actually bowed on the phone...

There's a REALLY old one of these floating around... which seems to be a different list. The funniest one I thought was, "you argue with your friends over whether the light is green or blue... and you say it's blue." Also the "not flinching at the delivery truck playing It's a Small World while backing up" was a good one.

Being colorblind, I've always thought that traffic lights looked more blue than green. They are more of a torquoise color, aren't they? I read an article earlier this year that in Fukuoka, they invented a new type of traffic light that eliminates any colorblind problems. Inside each light, there will be a mark of an X or a + that only colorblind people will be able to see. They will be invisible to normal people. I would like to see those someday.

That's bizarre considering what an obstacle course this country is for people with real disabilities (or small children).

Well, it's a mixed bag. Although Japanese sidewalks can be trecherous (especially when riding on a bicycle), many sidewalks have the yellow bumpy paths to aid blind people... You know, the tiles that end with a T at a crosswalk and such. For anyone in a wheelchair, however, you're screwed.

greg wrote:For anyone in a wheelchair, however, you're screwed.

Or if you're a single mother (or girly father) with a child in a stroller and have to go to any number of stations. I t really is appalling, and Japanese, as friendly as they are verbally, are highly allergic to helping strangers who have physical needs. They are world class at staring though.

gaijinpunch wrote:It really is appalling, and Japanese, as friendly as they are verbally, are highly allergic to helping strangers who have physical needs. They are world class at staring though.

It sounds like you're only used to the Kanto/Tokyo culture. Shizuoka is a bit friendlier, but people in the Kansai area are very friendly and not shy to talk to others (foreigners, too). I'd walk into an establishment and people would offer me a beer.

It is terrible that not even Shinjuku station has escalators to all of the tracks, or at least make it very, very confusing on how to get to a certain track without having to heft a heavy suitcase or whatnot.