TABLE
OF CONTENTS
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Ding
Dong: Japanese Transit
By: Suzanne Schefcik
Culture defines a group of people
by similar beliefs, actions and customs. The way in which Japanese
people live
is far different than my everyday life. Clothing styles, language, food
types
and even transportation separate Japanese culture from my own. Being an
American, I am not quite accustomed to the Japanese lifestyle. One of
my
favorite things about Japan,
although a little cheesy, is their mass transit. I admire the fact that
you can
get to nearly anywhere in the country rather quickly and efficiently,
the
interaction on the trains, and most of all, the sounds. Like Gerry
Tierny in
the article titled “Becoming a Participant Observer,” I also hope to
understand
the lives of my subjects more fully in order to know how to conduct
social
change through public policy.
Japan
offers a wide variety of mass transit. Buses, bullet trains, subways
and
ferries are only a few ways in which one can move about from city to
city. I
purchased a rail pass which made it effortless to travel about in Japan. It took
only a couple hours to get from one end of the country to the other. I
was also
amazed at the cheap and affordable price for all forms of transit. The
buses offered
a quick tour of the city at a reasonable price and some even had
English
translations.
People-watching
while transporting around the city is a hobby of mine. The interaction
between
people in Japan
is very interesting. People seem to be very timid and quiet. Many are
actively
text messaging on their cell phones. It was different to see people
talking in
soft tones or not at all in comparison with the U.S. In the U.S., usually the subways and buses
are pretty noisy from cell phones and loud conversation. I really
enjoyed
seeing how others live. The silence of the passengers opened my ears to
the
other sounds going on around me.
The
sounds made by the crosswalks, trains and buses were my favorite part
of Japan.
I felt as if I was in a video game trying to cross the street or
hopping on a
train. I like the fact that they warn you when it is time for you to
get on the
train. Not only does it help make your day a little brighter, but it is
also
efficient to the blind that may not be able to see when the light has
changed.
Public
transportation in Japan
proved to be both efficient and fun. I thoroughly enjoyed its easiness,
interaction and the sounds. I definitely would never have had the
opportunity
to see as much as I did in Japan
without the help of bullet trains and buses. Nor would I have had the
spring in
my step that the lovely tunes brought. I envision that social change
occurred
after the establishment of mass public transport through public policy
because
people gained access to multiple destinations that previously were
unreachable.
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Multisited Ethnography
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