Yes Japanese have a habit of believing that "following the rules" means safety from everything. They aren't alone in this attitude but it seems to be far more widespread here.
The Japanese health system, as with every other one, depends on the actual people in it. The best bit is that you can, in general, choose your doctor and hospital and these days there are online reviews to guide you to the better ones. For example my parents-in-law recently changed doctors because they realized the former one they had was basically useless. The new one has made significant improvements and (coincidentally) saved Japan a fair chunk of money by actually reviewing what drugs my FiL was taking, realizing about half were to counter side-effects of other drugs and cutting most of them.
I have had similar experiences with myself as a patient here as has my wife, but this last time was worse in that they did not even do the pitiful little that all others I have been to have done. There are at least two other clinics I have taken our kids to see, but this was the worst experience I have had. I am glad that there are good doctors out there, but if they are wearing masks I am not inclined to trust them regardless.
It goes deeper than just this though. Malpractice suits would have been filed in my childhood in the States if a doctor prescribed anything on so little. At one of my med schools, we use videos of actual medical interviews with real patients and doctors in the UK, filmed as part of a research and educational project and with the consent of all concerned, in class each week to train them in medical interviewing. If the doctors they will be working under do not allow them to use what they are being taught, what a waste.
Oh! And the kid was on the pot for an extended time yesterday too, so the meds are not getting it done.
Sep 21·edited Sep 21Liked by Kitsune, Maskless Crusader.
»While we do see this in the US for side streets, I have never seen an instance where both pedestrians and turning vehicles had the green light at the same time at busy intersections in the US. «
In Europe, this is nothing extraordinary. If the light is generally green, you can turn, but you MUST let the pedestrians with green light pass through first. No ifs, no buts, no “blind spots”. This is why you are never allowed to rely on your mirrors only: you are obliged to turn your head to cover your blind spot. If you can’t see clearly, just stop in front of the crosswalk before continuing. In German-speaking countries, this is mercilessly drilled into you during training, and until such rules become your second nature, you are not even allowed to take your licence exam. The only exception is when your traffic light is green arrow specifically for turning: this, and ONLY this, is a guarantee that you have the absolute priority.
The general problem is that Japanese drivers (assuming they’re always Japanese, as they are increasingly more non-Japanese drivers on the streets) have never been as good at following the rules as it is commonly believed. You’ve mentioned painted lines on the road, and this is indeed a good example. More examples can be found in point 4 (“Don’t follow the locals”) under the following link:
Furthermore, things seem to be going worse now. It might have to do with all sort of factors, including increasing senility, kids getting stupider and yes, post-jab+post-lockdown dumbness, or mask-induced lack of oxygen. But attempts to excuse drivers killing children on pedestrian crosswalks (“blind spot”, “doing his best to see all he could”, yada yada) are disingenuous and misleading. NO, they weren’t driving as carefully and legally as they could and should, not even most remotely so. And yes, kids should be constantly reminded that the world is full of idiots, not only when crossing the street.
The problem with blind spots are they are blind, no amount of looking, craning the neck, etc can solve this. It’s like asking a blind person just to look harder. Blind spots are called “blind spots” and not “difficult to see spots” for a reason. The problem is that pedestrians are instructed that the motorist is always at fault and they do not know they too must be careful.
One of the other laws here that is an accident generator is the one that allows motor bikes, scooters and cyclists to split lanes and drive up to the stop line at intersections. I have seen this happen with a biker going straight on the green and the big truck he foolishly stopped along side of turning left when the light turned green. The truck driver had no hope nor prayer of even knowing the biker was there but the biker should have noticed the trucks turn signal. The only way fro the trucker to see the biker would be to unfasten his seatbelt, craw across the cab to the passenger seat and look down through the window, or if a bigger truck, roll down the window and stick his head put to look down. It was this type of accident that killed the celeb’s daughter.
However, I do agree that knowing you have blind spots requires extra care, but even then, there are limits what you can do as a motorist with the idiots walking or cycling around here. My favorite example is when I was trying to back out of a small, tight packing lot onto the street. Backing lights on, the reverse beep sounding and idiots who illegally crossed the street in front of the car that stopped to let me on to the road swarming around my car after I put it in gear and even squeezing between my car and the cars on either side of me. It was but with the grace of God I didn’t at the very least crush some feet. And they just keep coming and coming, stopping traffic in both directions and preventing me from moving. Not an unusual experience. They do not care for there own safety because they are instructed that it is the duty of the motorist to care for their safety.
As you say, Japanese drivers do not follow traffic law. It is better in our area now that they had a massive safety campaign, but it is still uncommon for drivers to stop at the crosswalk near our house even though it is extremely well marked. Before the campaign is was exceedingly rare, like less than once in a span of multiple years. But neither do pedestrians or cyclists. They cross where the hell they want to safe in the knowledge that if they are hit, it’s the motorist’s fault, even if they cross on a red and the motorist has the green arrow. Even in the rare instances of wide sidewalks, many prefer to walk in the street. Jay walking seems to be one of the most popular pastimes for the locals.
This post reminded me of water traffic. A small boat must yield to an aircraft carrier, obviously. I look both ways when crossing a one-way street. LOL.
FYI, I cross a street to get to my office building that both the pedestrian and the cars turning left into the crosswalk both have the green light at the same time. An office worker was killed there a few years ago. I don't know the rules, but I yield to the cars turning left.
Is the street you cross a major intersection? Where are you? Regardless, we must look out and let bigger vehicles go if they wish. Winning in court from the grave is no victory.
Sep 21·edited Sep 21Liked by Kitsune, Maskless Crusader.
It is a typical busy downtown street, lots of cars and pedestrians. Sometimes the cars are backed up in every direction at that intersection. The system is broken.
Very true. However, at least with normal bikes there's usually some sort of sound from an uneven big wheel, some metallic components not quite fitting together, misaligned breaks, or just the chain doing its thing. Something to alert you of their advance.
These solid body, direct drive projectiles of death on the other hand?
Barely noticeable until they snub your nose at speeds way past what most would be willing to even attempt on a real bike.
But I must say it is very strange that something that hits harder, accelerates faster, and have a higher top speed than many light motorbikes can be freely used by kids and morons alike without any sort of training or licensing requirements.
"I’d bet me left arm that the girl and her mother, upon seeing the light turn green launched out into the street without a thought to looking left nor right"
You sure you're not living in Sweden. The amounts of time I've seen women do this... and the behaviour of people on those ebikes seem very much to be a disease transmissable by the same.
"Japan’s health care system."
I saw someone from the US claim his grandma got "free healthcare" in Japan when they visited as tourists when he were a kid. But likely it were just paid by insurance.
Meanwhile I've seen Japanese claim Swedish healthcare as the greatest thing ever.
Swedes who need real healthcare go to either the Baltics or the US instead.
Although, I have heard that medical institutions in Japan can differ to a very great degree. Granted, this was many years ago, but with your connections it might be worth asking around?
Japan does not corner the market of idiotic drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. Though I have never been to Sweden I have seen similar stupidity in the US. However, at least in the States I have spent time in, if the pedestrian crosses against a light or jay walks they get the ticket and must for damages to the vehicle that they threw themselves at with zero liability for the driver provided they were following all traffic laws. Things get murky if the pedestrian lacks insurance. In Japan, even if the pedestrian breaks the law, the motorist is arrested and has huge liability. So too with idiot cyclists.
God must have something planned for me as he has saved me numerous times. I used to practice Kendo near where I lived in Tokyo. When we moved across the river, I drove to practice with the same group. Thus I would be driving home at night 2 to 3 nights a week. The close calls I had with cyclists riding their bikes in the middle of the street, in the wrong direction, with no head light as they listened to music with earphones and playing with their cell phone were too numerous to count. Had I hit one of these suicidal bike riders I would be in prison despite there numerous infractions of traffic law and I none. Back in the Staes, I would get the dent in the hood fixed by their insurance.
There is no way they got free treatment in Japan. They must have had travelers insurance which covered it 100%. My private insurance covers 100% but I must first pay the hospital and it reimburses me.
My Canadian relatives said long ago that their system was great for OTC meds but that all that could afford it headed south of the border to one of the many hospitals set up just to serve Canadians who needed something more substantial from a doctor.
Yes, hospitals here too differ greatly but getting into a “good” can be problematic as even before the panic they were very selective with who they cared for and even they too suffered from shortages in doctors.
And now their, Canadian, healthcare only seem to offer vasectomy and death squads.
Right, "clinic" was the word I couldn't find. Hospitals seem the same in most of the Western world with just pushing pills down patients throats. Rather a friendly neighbourhood clinic is preferable, in the few countries were such still exists. Maybe they've disappeared from Japan too?
We have many clinics in our city. The reality is, I bring the kids to various clinic around us, not one to an actual hospital. I have been to hospitals in Japan for myself as well as clinics. The experience between the two are generally the same. More layers to go through before being seen in a hospital, part of the sorting of who should go where, but otherwise I have seen no difference between hospitals and clinics in Japan.
I have to say I agree with your assessment of the medical system in Japan. A thorough analysis of my health over the past 20 years would indicate the only time I get sick is after I go to the clinic. The fact is that I haven't gotten sick in about 5 years (flu-like symptoms) I did not go to any clinic. I simply let it pass. If I do happen to get sick, I will not blame anyone but myself. This is personal responsibility. This is something those is in the medical industry and their insurance scams do not understand. I cannot recall if it was Henry or William James who said that anything bad that happens in the world is "your" fault. I agree to some extent because I understand the idea behind this philosophy. I disagree to some extent because it is too demanding because I cannot control what others do. I do, however, feel bad about the "last Tuesday" incident, which was totally out of my control. I do, as often as I can, help the elderly in my neighborhood, cross the street and hail down taxis. This is in my control. Will people still be injured or killed on this "Safety Country"? Yes. But not on my watch. Keep on rockin'.
Yes Japanese have a habit of believing that "following the rules" means safety from everything. They aren't alone in this attitude but it seems to be far more widespread here.
The Japanese health system, as with every other one, depends on the actual people in it. The best bit is that you can, in general, choose your doctor and hospital and these days there are online reviews to guide you to the better ones. For example my parents-in-law recently changed doctors because they realized the former one they had was basically useless. The new one has made significant improvements and (coincidentally) saved Japan a fair chunk of money by actually reviewing what drugs my FiL was taking, realizing about half were to counter side-effects of other drugs and cutting most of them.
I have had similar experiences with myself as a patient here as has my wife, but this last time was worse in that they did not even do the pitiful little that all others I have been to have done. There are at least two other clinics I have taken our kids to see, but this was the worst experience I have had. I am glad that there are good doctors out there, but if they are wearing masks I am not inclined to trust them regardless.
It goes deeper than just this though. Malpractice suits would have been filed in my childhood in the States if a doctor prescribed anything on so little. At one of my med schools, we use videos of actual medical interviews with real patients and doctors in the UK, filmed as part of a research and educational project and with the consent of all concerned, in class each week to train them in medical interviewing. If the doctors they will be working under do not allow them to use what they are being taught, what a waste.
Oh! And the kid was on the pot for an extended time yesterday too, so the meds are not getting it done.
»While we do see this in the US for side streets, I have never seen an instance where both pedestrians and turning vehicles had the green light at the same time at busy intersections in the US. «
In Europe, this is nothing extraordinary. If the light is generally green, you can turn, but you MUST let the pedestrians with green light pass through first. No ifs, no buts, no “blind spots”. This is why you are never allowed to rely on your mirrors only: you are obliged to turn your head to cover your blind spot. If you can’t see clearly, just stop in front of the crosswalk before continuing. In German-speaking countries, this is mercilessly drilled into you during training, and until such rules become your second nature, you are not even allowed to take your licence exam. The only exception is when your traffic light is green arrow specifically for turning: this, and ONLY this, is a guarantee that you have the absolute priority.
The general problem is that Japanese drivers (assuming they’re always Japanese, as they are increasingly more non-Japanese drivers on the streets) have never been as good at following the rules as it is commonly believed. You’ve mentioned painted lines on the road, and this is indeed a good example. More examples can be found in point 4 (“Don’t follow the locals”) under the following link:
https://tinytotintokyo.com/driving-in-japan-tips
Furthermore, things seem to be going worse now. It might have to do with all sort of factors, including increasing senility, kids getting stupider and yes, post-jab+post-lockdown dumbness, or mask-induced lack of oxygen. But attempts to excuse drivers killing children on pedestrian crosswalks (“blind spot”, “doing his best to see all he could”, yada yada) are disingenuous and misleading. NO, they weren’t driving as carefully and legally as they could and should, not even most remotely so. And yes, kids should be constantly reminded that the world is full of idiots, not only when crossing the street.
The problem with blind spots are they are blind, no amount of looking, craning the neck, etc can solve this. It’s like asking a blind person just to look harder. Blind spots are called “blind spots” and not “difficult to see spots” for a reason. The problem is that pedestrians are instructed that the motorist is always at fault and they do not know they too must be careful.
One of the other laws here that is an accident generator is the one that allows motor bikes, scooters and cyclists to split lanes and drive up to the stop line at intersections. I have seen this happen with a biker going straight on the green and the big truck he foolishly stopped along side of turning left when the light turned green. The truck driver had no hope nor prayer of even knowing the biker was there but the biker should have noticed the trucks turn signal. The only way fro the trucker to see the biker would be to unfasten his seatbelt, craw across the cab to the passenger seat and look down through the window, or if a bigger truck, roll down the window and stick his head put to look down. It was this type of accident that killed the celeb’s daughter.
However, I do agree that knowing you have blind spots requires extra care, but even then, there are limits what you can do as a motorist with the idiots walking or cycling around here. My favorite example is when I was trying to back out of a small, tight packing lot onto the street. Backing lights on, the reverse beep sounding and idiots who illegally crossed the street in front of the car that stopped to let me on to the road swarming around my car after I put it in gear and even squeezing between my car and the cars on either side of me. It was but with the grace of God I didn’t at the very least crush some feet. And they just keep coming and coming, stopping traffic in both directions and preventing me from moving. Not an unusual experience. They do not care for there own safety because they are instructed that it is the duty of the motorist to care for their safety.
As you say, Japanese drivers do not follow traffic law. It is better in our area now that they had a massive safety campaign, but it is still uncommon for drivers to stop at the crosswalk near our house even though it is extremely well marked. Before the campaign is was exceedingly rare, like less than once in a span of multiple years. But neither do pedestrians or cyclists. They cross where the hell they want to safe in the knowledge that if they are hit, it’s the motorist’s fault, even if they cross on a red and the motorist has the green arrow. Even in the rare instances of wide sidewalks, many prefer to walk in the street. Jay walking seems to be one of the most popular pastimes for the locals.
This post reminded me of water traffic. A small boat must yield to an aircraft carrier, obviously. I look both ways when crossing a one-way street. LOL.
FYI, I cross a street to get to my office building that both the pedestrian and the cars turning left into the crosswalk both have the green light at the same time. An office worker was killed there a few years ago. I don't know the rules, but I yield to the cars turning left.
Is the street you cross a major intersection? Where are you? Regardless, we must look out and let bigger vehicles go if they wish. Winning in court from the grave is no victory.
It is a typical busy downtown street, lots of cars and pedestrians. Sometimes the cars are backed up in every direction at that intersection. The system is broken.
Sounds like here in Japan. Where is this?
Looking both ways on a one-way street used to feel silly.
But now with these ebikes infecting the whole globe? Better off not taking any chances really.
I have usually looked both ways regardless. Two wheeled vehicle riders don’t care for pesky things as which direction traffic is to travel.
Very true. However, at least with normal bikes there's usually some sort of sound from an uneven big wheel, some metallic components not quite fitting together, misaligned breaks, or just the chain doing its thing. Something to alert you of their advance.
These solid body, direct drive projectiles of death on the other hand?
Barely noticeable until they snub your nose at speeds way past what most would be willing to even attempt on a real bike.
None are bad, it’s the idiots riding them like idiots that is the problem.
True, I am being a bit harsh on the tools used.
But I must say it is very strange that something that hits harder, accelerates faster, and have a higher top speed than many light motorbikes can be freely used by kids and morons alike without any sort of training or licensing requirements.
Really? Not license needed?
"I’d bet me left arm that the girl and her mother, upon seeing the light turn green launched out into the street without a thought to looking left nor right"
You sure you're not living in Sweden. The amounts of time I've seen women do this... and the behaviour of people on those ebikes seem very much to be a disease transmissable by the same.
"Japan’s health care system."
I saw someone from the US claim his grandma got "free healthcare" in Japan when they visited as tourists when he were a kid. But likely it were just paid by insurance.
Meanwhile I've seen Japanese claim Swedish healthcare as the greatest thing ever.
Swedes who need real healthcare go to either the Baltics or the US instead.
Although, I have heard that medical institutions in Japan can differ to a very great degree. Granted, this was many years ago, but with your connections it might be worth asking around?
Japan does not corner the market of idiotic drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. Though I have never been to Sweden I have seen similar stupidity in the US. However, at least in the States I have spent time in, if the pedestrian crosses against a light or jay walks they get the ticket and must for damages to the vehicle that they threw themselves at with zero liability for the driver provided they were following all traffic laws. Things get murky if the pedestrian lacks insurance. In Japan, even if the pedestrian breaks the law, the motorist is arrested and has huge liability. So too with idiot cyclists.
God must have something planned for me as he has saved me numerous times. I used to practice Kendo near where I lived in Tokyo. When we moved across the river, I drove to practice with the same group. Thus I would be driving home at night 2 to 3 nights a week. The close calls I had with cyclists riding their bikes in the middle of the street, in the wrong direction, with no head light as they listened to music with earphones and playing with their cell phone were too numerous to count. Had I hit one of these suicidal bike riders I would be in prison despite there numerous infractions of traffic law and I none. Back in the Staes, I would get the dent in the hood fixed by their insurance.
There is no way they got free treatment in Japan. They must have had travelers insurance which covered it 100%. My private insurance covers 100% but I must first pay the hospital and it reimburses me.
My Canadian relatives said long ago that their system was great for OTC meds but that all that could afford it headed south of the border to one of the many hospitals set up just to serve Canadians who needed something more substantial from a doctor.
Yes, hospitals here too differ greatly but getting into a “good” can be problematic as even before the panic they were very selective with who they cared for and even they too suffered from shortages in doctors.
And now their, Canadian, healthcare only seem to offer vasectomy and death squads.
Right, "clinic" was the word I couldn't find. Hospitals seem the same in most of the Western world with just pushing pills down patients throats. Rather a friendly neighbourhood clinic is preferable, in the few countries were such still exists. Maybe they've disappeared from Japan too?
We have many clinics in our city. The reality is, I bring the kids to various clinic around us, not one to an actual hospital. I have been to hospitals in Japan for myself as well as clinics. The experience between the two are generally the same. More layers to go through before being seen in a hospital, part of the sorting of who should go where, but otherwise I have seen no difference between hospitals and clinics in Japan.
I see. That's saddening to hear.
I have to say I agree with your assessment of the medical system in Japan. A thorough analysis of my health over the past 20 years would indicate the only time I get sick is after I go to the clinic. The fact is that I haven't gotten sick in about 5 years (flu-like symptoms) I did not go to any clinic. I simply let it pass. If I do happen to get sick, I will not blame anyone but myself. This is personal responsibility. This is something those is in the medical industry and their insurance scams do not understand. I cannot recall if it was Henry or William James who said that anything bad that happens in the world is "your" fault. I agree to some extent because I understand the idea behind this philosophy. I disagree to some extent because it is too demanding because I cannot control what others do. I do, however, feel bad about the "last Tuesday" incident, which was totally out of my control. I do, as often as I can, help the elderly in my neighborhood, cross the street and hail down taxis. This is in my control. Will people still be injured or killed on this "Safety Country"? Yes. But not on my watch. Keep on rockin'.