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Completely Useless or Confusing Things in Tokyo

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When you guys start taking about a time period before I was even born..
 
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RIDER 00 said:
Post anything you want on this topic.

For my part, 7-11 is a useful store, but is this really the ideal location for one?

This store is located near Waseda station, which is full of students and is probably why they wanted this here.
But, it's in one room on the ground floor of an apartment building hidden by the surrounding fences.
That's what I call desperate.

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This is the kind of thing I would sometimes see in China lol.
 
impish said:
Individually wrapped things in that are already in packaging. We as a world use a lot of plastic. Japan is one of the worst offenders. Buy a box of cookies? In that box of cookies are individually wrapped cookies. Such a wast of packaging.
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Yessss! Totally agreed! And sometimes at shops (worst offenders: depachika stores) I have to nearly shout that I DONT WANT EXTRA WRAPPING!
 
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emiliapoesy said:
What’s with the all the wrapping? I have had to stop many a shopkeeper from loading me up with plastic bags, plastic boxes and other miscellaneous extra packaging!
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There is more plastic wrapping but there's also widespread awareness for recycling. If you're new to Tokyo please recycle those plastic bags and wraps. There is a recyclables day assigned for each neighborhood.
 
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Simonka said:
There is more plastic wrapping but there's also a widespread awareness for recycling. If you're new to Tokyo please recycle those plastic bags and wraps. There is one recyclables day for each neighborhood.
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They call it recycling but in reality they are just using the plastic to stoke the fires of the incinerators. I went to one of the 2 incinerators/recycle centers we have in town to get rid of some stuff I couldn't be bothered to bring down the end of the street. When I asked where to put the PET bottles they simply grabbed the bag and threw it in with the combustible trash bags in the big feeder hopper for the incinerator.
 
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The actual environmental impacts of recycling, good and bad, are a really complex and debatable set of topics, and imo no one really *knows* the answers with any certainty.

For one example, recycling various types of trash by collecting it curbside reduces solid waste, which otherwise pollutes the oceans and landscape in ugly and harmful (to some species) ways, but it also increases other forms of pollution such as air and water pollution (additional exhaust from the trucks that collect the recycling and the chemicals used in the recycling processes). The air and water pollution tends to be much less ugly but is harder to reverse/clean-up and is harmful, typically more harmful (to a somewhat different set of species). Which is better? It depends on judgements and what you value.

Some reasonably well informed discussion of the topic can be found here:

https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/conservation/issues/recycling-reality.htm

"For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong" H. L. Mencken

-Ww
 
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Lars Lust said:
Talking about Tokyo sounds. Anybody remember the guys punching tickets at the train/subway stations in the 80s? The incredible sound is one of my strongest memories from my very first trip to Tokyo. Iconic. Just imagine the sound of Shinjuku Station during rush hour. Not sure when they disappeared, replaced by the automatic gates. Late 80s?
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Sudsy said:
Got me curious so I looked it up - 1990 was when they started installing automated gates for JR East, Tokyo was mostly automated by 91.

Those little punches were interesting - each station had their own specific shape.

Man, anyone else remember how often the new automatic gates used to jam?
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Holy hell, I do vaguely remember that. I wasn't even a teen yet at that point, so probably in '89 or '90. I don't at all recall what it was like taking the train, but I sure remember getting my ticket punched in that manner. Funny how you can sometime only remember the minor details.
 
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User#8628 said:
What do you mean? This is their own country. Can’t they even speak their own language? Other then, ehm, some certain other countries, they sincerely do try to help people in English unless they are shy and embarrassed. In France for example some people refuse to speak English to help tourists even though they know it well for their own arrogance.

I don’t think its a problem per se if people come to another country not speaking the language, and i’m definitely not the kind of person who is anti immigration like “in some neighborhoods you don’t even hear our country’s language anymore, isn’t a disaster?!” But then people should at least be prepared for the obstacles like tourists should bring some translated sentences and immigrants should know someone who can translate for them in emergencies.
I think its rather lazy to just go to a country and expect everyone to speak English instead!
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Yes, indeed! I used to see reviews on "All inclusive hotels/resort" in the Caribbean before making a reservation. I was surprised one time that I had (almost as an obligation) to stay in a hotel that had several 1 star out of 5. I had a great time and local service was the best, I couldn't wish for a better treatment.
When I returned home and wrote a review on the hotel, I curiously took a closer look on the bad reviews that the hotel received. It was such as non sense arguments like: "We didn't like it, it was so hot!", "it was rainy season, we could enjoy the beach", "Many of the staff didn't quite speak English". Come on guys! How can you blame a hotel because of the weather? If you are going to travel abroad, do not expect that EVERYBODY speak English!

I didn't feel bad or offended when I went to Luxembourg and France. People on the street kind of refused to speak in other language that wasn't French. I used a lot of gestures and few french words!
 
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