Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Most first-time visitors to Japan are struck by how clean the country is

bbc.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

141–150 of 187 posts

Re: Most first-time visitors to Japan are struck by how clean the country is

#141

Post by distances »

chrisseaton wrote: post #124
alkonaut wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In a fast food restaurant where there is a bin where customers are supposed to throw their trash then I’m assuming I’m actually not paying to have it done. That is: there isn’t staff enough to handle it, and those that leave their tray just ensure that prices go up (since they are using a service they didn’t pay for). I have never left a tray in a fast food restaurant in 40 years.

I would imagine most restaurants wouldn't want customers walking around clumsily with trays of dirty plates. They don't know what they're doing and they'd be brushing past other customers unnecessarily. In a restaurant you're paying for an experience and I think it's totally reasonable for part of that experience to be someone clearing plates away after courses.

I think it's usually obvious. If return tray holder (or trash bins in case of fast food place) is open to customers = customer is expected to return.

Re: Most first-time visitors to Japan are struck by how clean the country is

#142

Post by jaclaz »

Ftuuky wrote: post #92
jaynetics wrote: post #26

The cleanliness is impressive, but what impressed me even more was the efficiency. One morning in Tokyo, I saw construction workers starting to dig up a street. It was a large operation, they were exposing some massive pipes, and there were a few policemen, politely pointing pedestrians to a way around the site. In the evening I went the same way again, to see how far they had gotten with the digging. However, there…

In Portugal it would have taken at least 2 months and the end result would be worse than before.

Same in Italy, but with a twist, the actual work is actually done in two or three days, at the most four of five, but one day per week and a couple of weeks when noone is on site.

Re: Most first-time visitors to Japan are struck by how clean the country is

#143

Post by carty76ers »

brookside wrote: post #106
multani wrote: post #68

I was cycling in Japan for about 2 weeks, just a few weeks ago. I was also impressed in most places by how clean it was, not only in the cities, but more generally speaking about everywhere. At some point though, I was cycling along the coast of Mie then Wakayama prefectures, and although the scenery and roads were clean, I had a glance just behind the ramp walk, and realized that behind the trees, in the bush next t…

Interested in the cycling part of this. Any routes you recommend? I did the short Shimanami Kaido over the inland sea which was, of course, wonderful.

Follow-up question: did you camp along the route?

Re: Most first-time visitors to Japan are struck by how clean the country is

#144

Post by carty76ers »

dredmorbius wrote: post #128
seanalltogether wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh man this is so true and one of the big things that really stuck out to me when I first moved here. In the states i was used to seeing trash along the highway, but walking down city streets are relatively clean. Here in the UK when i walk down the street I'm now used to seeing tons of plastic bottles and empty crisp packs in the hedges. And you completely nailed it, cleaning is someone elses job.

The IRA is in part to explain.

> The IRA is in part to explain

I’ll bite. Why?

Re: Most first-time visitors to Japan are struck by how clean the country is

#145

Post by multani »

brookside wrote: post #106
multani wrote: post #68

I was cycling in Japan for about 2 weeks, just a few weeks ago. I was also impressed in most places by how clean it was, not only in the cities, but more generally speaking about everywhere. At some point though, I was cycling along the coast of Mie then Wakayama prefectures, and although the scenery and roads were clean, I had a glance just behind the ramp walk, and realized that behind the trees, in the bush next t…

Interested in the cycling part of this. Any routes you recommend? I did the short Shimanami Kaido over the inland sea which was, of course, wonderful.

This [1] is more of less what I did. There wasn't much of any dedicated cycling lanes (such as the Shimanami Kaido road) anywhere I went, so sometimes the traffic was not so cool. The parts in and out of the Alps, and in Mie prefecture (despite the off-road garbage ;) were the best to me: no so much traffic, few people, and the scenery was quite cool. My time was short and there were several places I wanted to connect, so YMMV.

[1] https://drive.google.com/open?id=1nuRT79jhVqLFPncCh9PnUhxK6K...

Re: Most first-time visitors to Japan are struck by how clean the country is

#147

Post by axaxs »

jaynetics wrote: post #26

The cleanliness is impressive, but what impressed me even more was the efficiency. One morning in Tokyo, I saw construction workers starting to dig up a street. It was a large operation, they were exposing some massive pipes, and there were a few policemen, politely pointing pedestrians to a way around the site. In the evening I went the same way again, to see how far they had gotten with the digging. However, there…

It's as bad if not worse in the US. There are plenty of national examples, so I'll just tell of a local one. Where I live, recently they decided to repair 3 sidewalk squares. I figure I alone could have done this in a few hours, a day at most. The crew of 3 spent the first day taping off the sidewalk. Day 2 tearing up one square. Day 3 tearing up the other 2 squares. Day 4 pouring one square. Day 5 pouring the other 2 squares. Day 8(after weekend) removing the caution tape. Six working days for one very tiny project.

Re: Most first-time visitors to Japan are struck by how clean the country is

#148

Post by multani »

carty76ers wrote: post #143
brookside wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interested in the cycling part of this. Any routes you recommend? I did the short Shimanami Kaido over the inland sea which was, of course, wonderful.

Follow-up question: did you camp along the route?

I did 6 times but weather was a bit crap and many places were already closed (and I really needed that shower at the end of the day :p). On the other end, I was practically alone most of the time (I shared a barbecue under a tarp under the rain with a Japanese guy on my last camping day) and most of the camp sites were just by the sea, which was pretty cool.

Re: Most first-time visitors to Japan are struck by how clean the country is

#150

Post by Tempest1981 »

jaynetics wrote: post #26

The cleanliness is impressive, but what impressed me even more was the efficiency. One morning in Tokyo, I saw construction workers starting to dig up a street. It was a large operation, they were exposing some massive pipes, and there were a few policemen, politely pointing pedestrians to a way around the site. In the evening I went the same way again, to see how far they had gotten with the digging. However, there…

On Hwy 101 near Facebook, it seems like the roads have been under construction for maybe 1 year? And 2-3 years near University Ave.

I wish we could invent some super-efficient equipment that makes road-building/construction 10x faster...

Post reply on HN