Category: Society

One of the first things you notice when you arrive to Japan (Or any other Asian country) is that there are lots of people crouching on the streets. For me, and most of my European friends it’s very difficult to squat during more than one minute, but Asian people seem to have an special ability. Many times you can even see groups of friends squatting and eating noodles while chatting and relaxing. I could never relax in that position!

Las picture was taken by friend P.J. Marquez.

By the way, English speakers, what do you prefer: to squat or to crouch? is there any difference?

I’m from Spain, a country where there are many cameras inside any kind of shops and the employees are always looking if you do any suspicious movement. In Japan, I was surprised when I first saw some supermarkets where some stuff is “outside” the shop area, there is not a big difference between inside and outside in many Japanese shops, it seems they trust the clients.

Here are some pictures I took in a bookstore at Tokyo’s city center.

Many Japanese reading magazines outside the shop. If you want to buy one of them, you have to bother and enter the shop to pay.

Look at the entrance, there is not a big difference between inside and outside.