Notes for Gaijin (外人) #1

[bellinghman]

In Britain, we drive on the left, and overtake on the right. On escalators, we stand on the right, and overtake on the left.
In Japan, they drive on the left, and overtake on the right. On escalators, they stand on the left, and overtake on the right.

Comments

Not just Osaka either ...

[the-magician.livejournal.com]

... but local places like Kyoto, Nara etc. ... I can't remember which way it was in Hiroshima, but I think it might have been Osakan ... which leads to fun when you're travelling on trains full of Osakans arriving in Tokyo as you end up having to slalom the escalators!

Oh, and the stairs are clearly marked with "up" and "down" arrows on the stairs (and sometimes arrows overhead) and people *mostly* stick to those, but there are enough that don't (and not just me with my luggage!) that it's annoying :-)

Re: Not just Osaka either ...

[feorag.livejournal.com]

I'm finding in Kyoto that what we have is confusion. I get the impression its mostly Tokyo fashion, but just enough people do it Osaka fashion to turn escalators into a scrum.