JAPANESE COURTESY

The Japanese are famous for their EXTRAORDINARY courtesy. This adjective does not capture the essence of things. On the Tokyo subway, I asked a Japanese man rushing to work for help. The Japanese did not know English. For 10 minutes, however, he wanted to politely quickly begin to understand English. I showed the address on the phone. Finally, with the help of a Japanese man, I started buying a ticket in a slot, but the transaction was rejected. The Japanese patiently stood by me and it was evident that he was ashamed for the fact that Japan is so very technically unprepared for my arrival. Suddenly it came to me that I have an ATM card and the transaction therefore does not pass.

The Japanese did not know what to do with me. I showed Him that he had already gone, because everything lasted more than 40 minutes, and I began to worry that he would be late for me to work, and it is not known what will come of it. But the Japanese couldn’t leave me in a giant chikatetsu. So he came up with an idea more POLITE than what he had done so far: he bought me a ticket for his money. Another Japanese man asked where the building was.

The Japanese didn’t know it, but it didn’t fit in his head to be SO RUDE that he might not know it when I ask. So he walked with me for an hour around Tokyo and we were looking for this building. Arigato gozaimashita.