Mobiles and lockers
On the way to work today, I was reminded of something I'd never noticed in previous trips to Japan. On any form of public transport, you're expected to turn your mobile to silent mode and not chat on it, so as not to disturb other passengers. I think this is really quite civilised, and makes long journeys more peaceful (and conducive to snoozing). On the other hand, I've read that doing your makeup on trains is frowned upon, but I once saw 2 girls (on the same train but not together) doing a full face on the subway. Amazing. Both were quite pretty and well-dressed.
The other thing that impressed me very much is the ubiquity of lockers. They were everywhere: train stations, subway stations, on the streets outside train stations, in department stores and shopping centres. Many had transparent doors so that you could see what was inside. We could do with some of these in our department stores and shopping centres!
Comments
I also like how their toilets are designed (in dept stores and shopping centres). Most cubicles will have a wide ledge for your barang, in addition to hooks. A few cubicles will have a baby chair in one corner for you to deposit your baby while you do your business. And of course there's always a separate standup counter with mirrors where you can do your makeup. The one at Taka actually has a row of mirrors and sinks, with chairs, away from the washbasin area.