What do these four arguably Japanese things have in common?
- a group shouting “ikki! Ikki!” in unison at an izakaya to prod someone to chug their drink
- urinating against the side of a building
- chucking noodles onto the sidewalk after drinking too much
- swinging an imaginary golf club while waiting on a platform for a train.
What these things have in common, at least as I observe them, is that they are considerably rarer than they were some decades ago here in Japan.
The first three are related to improved drinking habits and manners, and perhaps a heightened realization that looking like a jerk is not cool.
I’m not sure why the imaginary golf clubs have become rare. Perhaps it is because it is rather difficult to maintain your imaginary golf swing form while holding a phone in one hand. Maybe someone closer to the problem could offer a suggestion.
