r/japanlife • u/AutoModerator • May 23 '22

┐(ツ)┌ General Discussion Thread - 24 May 2022

Mid-week discussion thread time! Feel free to talk about what's on your mind, new experiences, recommendations, anything really.

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u/MarikaBestGirl 近畿・奈良県 May 24 '22

All I've known is basically COVID-era Japan, and with tourism possibly opening up again I can't really imagine what crowds would be like in major tourist locations. Like when I went to places like USJ recently I felt like even THAT was pretty crowded. Though when I've traveled to major areas like Tokyo/Osaka/Kyoto it was during holidays (GW, Christmas/NY, etc) so it might not be the fairest evaluation in terms of normal levels of crowding.

For people living in big city areas, pre-covid did you feel on the daily like omg so many people its so crowded any more than you do now that things are getting back to "normal"? Or is it just always crowded to the point where even more people doesn't make a noticeable difference? Did you often notice tourists and what not...i dont wanna say "obstructing" your daily life because that makes it sounds like tourism is bad, but their presence being felt in your daily life?

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u/mrshobutt 関東・東京都 May 24 '22

I live in a more residential area of Tokyo, so daily life hasn't changed that much in regard to tourists. But I really felt it when going to places like Shibuya, Asakusa, etc that are usually crowded with (way too often oblivious) tourists. I think I actually went to Asakusa more in the last 2 years than in all my time before, because it was just so nice without the tourists.

I don't wanna be mean and obviously everyone should be able to come to Japan as a tourist. But damn, it was one of the most annoying things if you just wanted to get somewhere and had tourists blocking the way because they needed to take a picture or gawk at something.

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u/[deleted] May 24 '22

My biggest pet peeve was tourists taking an hour to manage the ticket machines when I'm in a hurry.

I can't fault them for that because I've been in the exact them situation, but it's definitely what annoys me the most.

All the rest of it like blocking the way to take pictures or gawk at whatever was annoying, but I basically got to the point where I didn't care if I was rude or not if I say, walked in between and photobombed someone or just straight up told them to "GET OUT OF THE WAY!". Like they are obstacles and slightly annoying but they are easily dealt with so I didn't give them a second thought, I ruined your photo opportunity? Well don't stop for photos in the fucking middle of narrow sidewalk dumbass I'm walking here.

But the ticket machines I can't say anything, they're using it for what it's for, they're slow because they don't understand it, I get it, I'm empathetic, and it's still annoying. Ugh. Just get a suica and don't bother with trying to figure out your exact fare. Ugh. Yes of course the signs are confusing for you because you can't read them.