“Elderly” in Japan

[Sudsy]

Am I too cruel?

Of course not. You gave up your seat because you’re kind, not because you had to.

Not enjoying the experience makes it no less kind.

 

[Manami TMK]

Of course not. You gave up your seat because you’re kind, not because you had to.

Not enjoying the experience makes it no less kind.

Well I did but not happily.
People around me didn’t know my back story, I didn’t want to be under the pressure for the next 25 minutes. 小心者なもんで。

 

[MikeH]

People around me didn’t know my back story, I didn’t want to be under the pressure for the next 25 minutes. 小心者なもんで。

You should do what all the "I am the King of the World" -type Japanese salarymen do and pretend to be asleep.

 

[e-smile]

when I had to go to hospital for my last pre-surgery check (for my hernia) I had to take the train and in my current state it became even hard to be standing up.
but I don't look old enough to be given a priority seat :'(

@Manami TMK people never even imagine you have a back story

 

[impish]

My wife told me that I now qualify for senior discount at one of the onsens we visit.
Also can now get senior discount at movie theaters.

I know Toho cinema gives a discount at age 50 which is really young in my opinion. for that kind of discount.

 

[impish]

I admit that sometimes I do use the priority seats when no other seats are free. I know what is considered elderly age in Japan is probably 10-15 years more than the American equivalent, but still i immediately vacate the seat if i see someone looking 55+ get on. Half the time they don't even use it and we both end up standing.

Last week on the train i saw two young Chinese tourists getting VERY loudly told off by a 60+ Japanese woman who was standing while they sat in the priority seats with their suitcases.

There is nothing wrong with using the seats, I use them all the time. What is wrong is not getting up when someone who needs it comes along. If I sit there and I see an elderly person I'll get up and offer the seat to them. It doesn't make sense to not use the seats on a bus that is crowded with the afternoon's release of high schoolers for example.

 

[warattemo]

And most of the time, young kids are sitting there and never offer the seat...

And salary mans, and people who don't give a fuck... once I even saw a guy with what seemed a broken toe going through hell with the train movement and nobody cared at all.

I wonder if in these cases is ok to tell them to fucking move their stupid asses... I was very near to do so a couple of times like the one before and another one with a very old obaachan, but for some reason I didn't.

 

[just4fun]

My wife told me that I now qualify for senior discount at one of the onsens we visit.
Also can now get senior discount at movie theaters.

And most of the time, young kids are sitting there and never offer the seat...

I've had the misfortune to fall over onto young kids sitting in those seats, It happens a few times till the get the drift

 

[User#8628]

when I had to go to hospital for my last pre-surgery check (for my hernia) I had to take the train and in my current state it became even hard to be standing up.
but I don't look old enough to be given a priority seat :'(

@Manami TMK people never even imagine you have a back story

You could explain your situation to the people in the priority seats and ask them to get up.
They are meant for invisible handicaps as well and we can’t know if people don’t tell us.

 

[e-smile]

You could explain your situation to the people in the priority seats and ask them to get up.
They are meant for invisible handicaps as well and we can’t know if people don’t tell us.

yeah but I'm sure they wouldn't have believed me and even if I had the seat I'd get the suspicion looks from everyone around
next time I'll take the train I'll have hospital papers to prove it, it will be on my surgery trip anyway

 

[User#8628]

yeah but I'm sure they wouldn't have believed me and even if I had the seat I'd get the suspicion looks from everyone around
next time I'll take the train I'll have hospital papers to prove it, it will be on my surgery trip anyway

Good luck with the surgery!

 

[Manami TMK]

 

[SugoiBoy]

I know Toho cinema gives a discount at age 50 which is really young in my opinion. for that kind of discount.

Interesting stuff. I’ve had an older relative visit me here. We both observed that there don’t seem to be that many discounts for seniors in Japan compared to, say, the USA.

 

[Frenchy]

View attachment 10299

I think I would have been happier in the upper situation though. It’s not “onaji gurai”

 

[MikeH]

It’s not “onaji gurai”

That's true, but then again it doesn't say "onaji gurai" nor "onani kurai" but "onaji kurai".

That also illustrates the reason why writing Japanese in alphabet should be banned.

 

[Frenchy]

That's true, but then again it doesn't say "onaji gurai" nor "onani kurai" but "onaji kurai".

That also illustrates the reason why writing Japanese in alphabet should be banned.

You’re such an « enculeur de mouches » as we say in my dialect. ( « flies fucker », meaning someone making a fuss about the smallest things ). Yes, you’re right they wrote kurai but we both know that gurai is ok too. In any case don’t fuck bees, they are useful for the ecosystem !

(And yes, « enculeur » is just about the back-door fuck, but I suppose that for flies it doesn’t make such a difference )

 

[Mrmer]

Ever since I moved, I’ve been taking the bus to a nearby major station instead of the train because it’s 1) closer, 2) less crowded, and 3) I just like looking out the window.

I noticed that most of the passengers whom I’d consider to be older (60+) prefer or tend to use the normal seats instead of the priority seats. Even though the priority seats are empty and closer to the entrance, they slowly walk toward the back of the bus, sometimes carrying walking canes.

At first, I thought that they just didn’t want to accept the fact that they’re no longer young and able to walk like they once used to, but now I’m wondering if Japan has an age requirement for being considered “elderly”. Does something like that exist?

So I was raised to give your space to an elder. I’m a bit less ignorant to Japanese culture but still dumb lol. Jammmm packed subway an older lady gets on. No one moves . I get up and offer her my seat...so does my wife and she’s older than me. She smiled and said something in Japanese ..we were like huh.. she was fine with it. She stood and rode until we got off.

Moral is old doesn’t mean you can’t. Respect

Or maybe I’m culturally retarded and misread the whole thing

 

[MikeH]

You’re such an « enculeur de mouches » as we say in my dialect. ( « flies fucker », meaning someone making a fuss about the smallest things ). Yes, you’re right they wrote kurai but we both know that gurai is ok too. In any case don’t fuck bees, they are useful for the ecosystem !

(And yes, « enculeur » is just about the back-door fuck, but I suppose that for flies it doesn’t make such a difference )

So flies are OK, but bees are NG? Just want get the details right, it would be terrible to make a mistake like that.

And traditionally there is a difference between kurai and gurai too. You must be one of those bloody foreigners who come here just to destroy our beautiful country, culture and language!