Japanese Age Privilege

[warubuta]

Every now and then I run into an older guy, over 65, who I can tell thinks that he has higher social standing than I do. He thinks that he deserves special treatment from those around him. He acts like he owns the place. Beyond the normal common courtesy and respect and kindness we need to show older people, he thinks that he deserves to be treated special. WTF? I sometimes bump into these guys on the green car in the morning or evening. Most of them are nearing retirement from senior positions at big Japanese companies. They look at me like, 'whats this gaijin doing on my train? what did he do to merit riding the green car?' I think a lot of these guys think that since they helped rebuild Japan after the war, they somehow now deserve special respect and treatment from anyone younger than them. And they hate gaijin. I just realized that this sounds like a TJB post. Shit.

 

[TAG Manager]

I was going to say, what exactly did they do to you?

Are we talking local Green Car or Shinkansen Green Car?

If they're on the local Green Gar, then their status is pretty low.
Anyone can get Green Car benefits from their company.

(IMHO, wouldn't care or wouldn't notice... )

 

[BIPSY]

I think a lot of people around that age start to see their future potentials (and world in general) shrinking and thus get more protective of the status/position they have. Usually seems to come out in a resistance to change or innovation and getting overly butthurt about not getting what they are “entitled to”.

Sucks to have to be around them but hey, if that’s the hill they want to die on it’s their prerogative.

 

[warubuta]

I was going to say, what exactly did they do to you?

Are we talking local Green Car or Shinkansen Green Car?

If they're on the local Green Gar, then their status is pretty low.
Anyone can get Green Car benefits from their company.

(IMHO, wouldn't care or wouldn't notice... )

Local Green Car. Yea, it is not that expensive, but these wankers think they are somehow special. But not only on the green car, even in other settings, I can just tell that they think that this is the country they built so it belongs to them and I am an unwelcome interloper. When the fact is I have done more hard work, and certainly paid more taxes, to support Japan than most of them. They act like I should thank them for letting me be here. Well I say fuck em. And their over shined shoes and over pressed pants. Fuck em.

 

[TAG Manager]

Local Green Car. Yea, it is not that expensive, but these wankers think they are somehow special. But not only on the green car, even in other settings, I can just tell that they think that this is the country they built so it belongs to them and I am an unwelcome interloper. When the fact is I have done more hard work, and certainly paid more taxes, to support Japan than most of them. They act like I should thank them for letting me be here. Well I say fuck em. And their over shined shoes and over pressed pants. Fuck em.

I detect a lot of angst.

I'm sure this goes on, but it's so insignificant that I don't acknowledge it exists.

I'm trying to think of a good example; but probably the best ones are cases where I've got priority boarding, check-in or some upgraded business status that lets me bypass most lines... I can see the daggers in some of their eyes, haha. Let them have their moment, in their local trains.

 

[warubuta]

I detect a lot of angst.

I'm sure this goes on, but it's so insignificant that I don't acknowledge it exists.

I'm trying to think of a good example; but probably the best ones are cases where I've got priority boarding, check-in or some upgraded business status that lets me bypass most lines... I can see the daggers in some of their eyes, haha. Let them have their moment, in their local trains.

Guess I am over sensitized. Should try to not let it bother me, but I might just have to pull a Michael Douglas in Falling Down. No automatic weapons in Japan though. Thankfully.

 

[MikeH]

It does sound a lot like we now are witnessing the birth of TJB II.

My dream is to be one of these guys. To have the confidence of sitting in your ass doing nothing but still know deep inside you are so much better than anyone else.

That must feel good. Though I definitely need to make sure no dirty ugly gaijins get access to the same car than I do.

 

[BIPSY]

My dream is to be one of these guys. To have the confidence of sitting in your ass doing nothing but still know deep inside you are so much better than anyone else.

And every minute of every day from when you wake up until you fall asleep this is on a permanent loop in your brain:

 

[bergmann]

That must feel good. Though I definitely need to make sure no dirty ugly gaijins get access to the same car than I do.

Don't you just hate it when some gaijin inconsiderately invades your little sphere of Japan-ness? There you are, safe in your little zone of smugness knowing it's just you and the kokumin, and you've long since cracked their impenetrable codes, then some foreigner comes in and upsets the wa merely by being there and ambiguifying the protocols...

 

[chaztagster]

I can just tell that they think that this is the country they built

I really like the folks who rebuilt the country. Many years ago, I befriended some old timers who came back from China with nothing but the rags on their backs and built new lives in a region where there was no infrastructure. They helped each other, they were welcoming to me, and they had no pretensions. But the folks that you're seeing in the green car are not from that generation.
Most people in any generation, in any country, are decent. But there are always some entitled farts who think that they're so special. They forget that they're standing on the shoulders of the people before them. Fuck 'em.

 

[warubuta]

I guess there are fuckheads in any and every generation. There must be a need for them. Either that or Darwin was wrong. Either way it’s depressing.

 

[warubuta]

I really like the folks who rebuilt the country. Many years ago, I befriended some old timers who came back from China with nothing but the rags on their backs and built new lives in a region where there was no infrastructure. They helped each other, they were welcoming to me, and they had no pretensions. But the folks that you're seeing in the green car are not from that generation.
Most people in any generation, in any country, are decent. But there are always some entitled farts who think that they're so special. They forget that they're standing on the shoulders of the people before them. Fuck 'em.

My experience with rural older folks had also been good. It’s the guys in Japan Inc who seem to be the arrogant ones who have reimagined history.

 

[MikeH]

then some foreigner comes in and upsets the wa merely by being there and ambiguifying the protocols...

You are right and I made a mistake. I said not in the same car, when I meant not in the same country. Simply their existence is breaking the wa and making me feel vaguely uncomfortable.

Fuck 'em.

Rather fuck their daughters and granddaughters.

It’s the guys in Japan Inc who seem to be the arrogant ones who have reimagined history.

And even with them 99% is good people. It is just that the fuckheads in here and everywhere who are the noisiest.