Why do the Japanese do what they do?

Well, Japan and its people are not so hard to comprehend,

once you realize that it's all about the rules.

Once you know them, your time here will be easy peasy, Japaneasy.

And I'm going to break a rule of my own,

which is that every shot should be there because it helps tell the story.

These shots...

I just had a bunch of sweet night time shots and I didn't want them to go to waste.

Anyways...

It'd be my pleasure if you join me in discovering the rules that rule Japan.

Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of rules, both written and unwritten.

But don't fret, that's why I made this video.

And to ease you in, let's start with a very simple one:

what side of the street to walk on.

And it couldn't be easier, it's just like driving.

Drive on the left, pass on the right.

To the 35% of the world, especially those hailing from the former British empire,

this will make complete sense.

To the other 65%, well,

focus on what you think is the right way to do it,

and do the complete opposite.

So when walking, left is right, and right is wrong.

Tsk... that's a bit confusing.

Left is good, right is bad?

Ahhh... just... if you're playing chicken with some oba-san,

veer left and you should avoid a direct confrontation.

And this basic rules flows to non-street situations as well.

Like take escalators.

Sticking left will always work.

Except if you're in Osaka,

because they do it the other way just to be different.

We'll leave them out of it.

In Tokyo, which, come on people, is Japan, people stick to the left.

See.

Well, this is a special situation, where they probably had building constraints

where they had to switch sides, so in this case,

left is wrong and right is right.

But just the same as driving, stick to the left, pass on the right.

There are not always escalators in train stations,

so if you have to use the stairs, it's the same thing.

Move on over to the left side.

Clearly this station put their labels on the wrong sides,

and it's quite confusing for the normally very rule abiding Japanese citizens.

I played it safe and walked up the middle.

It's the only way to be wrong, whichever way was right.

Except in this situation,

where staying in the middle was the correct move.

And when it comes to scrambles, well,

it's everyone for themselves.

I think the key is to move with confidence.

Rules about how and where you move continues at Shinto shrines,

where you'll always find a Torii gate.

This is the boundary between holy ground and the secular world.

When you pass through the gate, you are stepping into the domain of the deity.

Proper etiquette is to bow once before entering.

Also, the middle is where the deity walks, so stick to the sides.

What happens if you walk around the gate?

It's uncertain...

it's got to be some type of loophole though.

Something I also found out, is that if you're at Meiji Jingu

and doing your requisite photo or video taking,

don't use sankyaku, which literally means three legs,

but in this cases means tripod.

But by all means, photograph away.

What about these elaborate water troughs?

The temizuya, is there so that you can perform misogi,

which purifies your body and mind.

While originally this was done in the nude at places like an ocean or river,

now it's enough to only wash your hands and mouth.

People just don't follow traditions like they used to.

But this is what you do. Clean your left hand,

then your right hand, then your mouth using your left hand.

Let the water wash the ladle, all in one scoop!

I gotta say, clean execution all-around.

How about making an offering at the shrine?

First you throw in your saisen coin as an offering to the deity.

Then ring the bell as a greeting.

Bow twice,

clap your hands twice and keep them together, then bow once to pray.

When it comes to Buddhist temples, well, the rules go out the window.

It's not as strict as a Shinto shrine.

Except clapping, don't clap.

I don't know why, just don't do it.

And how do you know if you're at a Shinto shrine or a Buddhist temple?

Shrines always have torii gates, while temples don't,

except when there's the temples that do.

Like the Senso-ji Buddhist temple grounds that has this Shinto shrine within it.

So how would the clap rule apply in this situation?

If you're at a shrine clapping is good.

If you're at a temple, clapping is bad.

If you're at a shrine on temple grounds, clapping is...

What we can all agree on though, is that this guy is very cute.

What you can do at a Buddhist temple is wash yourself with incense smoke.

Even your pet can have their body and spirit purified.

If smoke flowing over your body is a good thing,

then surely smoke being inhaled must be a great thing.

I'm certain that's why the Japanese really took to tobacco

when Portuguese sailors introduced it in 1543.

Because unlike most other developed countries,

smoking indoors in Japan is still a common thing.

You can also find outdoor temples to smoking all throughout Tokyo.

Conscious of the fact that not everyone shares the same religion,

there are signs to not openly practice when just walking out and about though.

To summarize, smoking while walking is bad,

but if you to have to, do it at a designated temple.

If you're indoors, then follow the proprietor's religion.

You know, I'd like to circle back around to the walking rules.

I realized that they're not as easy as the rules for automobiles,

because one's a set of rules for people, who are complicated,

and the other is a rule for machines, which aren't.

Bicycles are machines, so surely the rules for them will also be simple.

Roads are for vehicles, so bikes go there.

See, the markings say so!

Sidewalks are not, so pedestrians go there.

And this guys is following the rules, good guy!

I have now realized the error in my logic.

Cars are not human powered vehicles, so they have to go on the road,

but bikes are human powered,

so they can go on the sidewalk or the road!

In fact, some sidewalks have special markings on them

to show where bikes go and where pedestrians go.

For example, bikes are on the right, humans on the left.

I mean that guy had a kind of machine, so he's allowed in the bike lane.

This lady though...

woh, she's clearly and brazenly breaking the rules.

As are these people.

When you're at a crosswalk,

there are also clear divisions for pedestrians and cyclists.

Not that anyone cares.

Obviously, these road painters have figured out

that there's no point in having a dedicated bicycle lane and drew over it.

While following rules around bicycle riding is not a strong suit of the Japanese people,

they do like to follow parking rules.

See.

No parking sign, no bikes parked.

The garbage... I don't know about that.

Another sign, yet again, no bikes.

Except for over here.

And here.

And here. Fine, basically everywhere.

I have to get myself into the bike towing business.

Clearly lots to be had.

And that's where the humble traffic cone comes into play.

Japanese love their cones.

See, this cyclist clearly knows that no matter what rules he breaks,

there's no crossing the cone barrier when you're not supposed to.

To take advantage of the Japanese person's deference to the cone,

you'll even see signs attached to them.

But cones aren't only used to manage bikes.

Oh no!

They're there to enforce rules everywhere.

They're there as a message of caution.

They're used to tell people not to stand somewhere.

They can demark the lines between vending machine users and non-vending machine users.

And yeah, you also see them used in construction, which there's always a lot of.

At night they can even light up!

So pretty.

So cones are clearly what rules it all in Japan.

I mean...

these cones are in the middle of the park between two trees and nothing else,

but you can bet your bottom dollar that I didn't go near there,

nor did I see any Japanese people come within spitting distance.

Here's another easy rule to follow.

If you see a line, get in it.

Especially if it appears near somewhere that has food.

Because it has to be good, right?

Except for me, my rule is to avoid food lines with a ten foot pole...

except when my kids don't.

But standing in line is a good idea when waiting for a train.

It all works nicely when you let passengers get off before you get on.

There are rules about using cell phones on trains, don't use them in this area.

But the unwritten rule of the train, is that if you're in any other area,

you should use one and avoid looking at all the other humans.

Interestingly, a part of Japan that doesn't have a lot of rules

is the zoning laws for buildings.

This can result in getting huge buildings next to small little ones,

like this Buddhist temple.

Or this huge construction site surrounding this one.

And for good measure, here's a Shinto shrine,

in front of a 3-storey house, next to a commercial office building.

By default, many zones allow mixed use,

so whether it's a shrine, small home based business, school, office building,

manufacturer, or high-rise tower, then can all happily co-exist.

Because laws are nationally based, there's not a lot of nimbyism,

not in my backyard, that can go on.

You can also build virtually on any size lot,

so you'll end up with tall, skinny buildings like this.

And a lovely aspect of this, is that you'll find little alleyways all over the place.

An urban explorer's dream.

And since there are not really any cosmetic design standards to adhere to,

you can get some quite creative buildings like these.

Because there is little space between buildings, and many people live on top of each other,

it's often difficult to pursue noisy hobbies.

Thankfully, you can do what you like in parks.

Well, you DO have to follow some rules.

No fireworks,

clean up after your dog,

no feeding pigeons, because they'll pooh all over your laundry and you shouldn't encourage them.

But if they feed themselves, that's alright.

Take home your own rubbish is a good one.

Luckily this one's followed the majority of the time.

No dogs. No dogs again, just to make it clear.

What, no commercial photo shoots!

Does YouTubing count?

Uh oh... I may have just broke another rule.

But really, parks serve as a release valve.

It's a chance for those pent up in small residences to pursue their hobbies.

While some parks do have restrictions, you can find riverbanks,

or big parks like Yoyogi, which are more permissive....

for the right things.

No soccer! Come on! Seriously!

Yoyogi is a huge place, what's up with that!

But you can do lots of stuff, like play your guitar.

You can practice your dancing.

You can have a go at acting.

If you want, you can even act like Tom Cruise.

My favourite rule is the catch-all one, make sure you don't do anything to disturb others,

which is really the golden rule of Japan.

While some parks don't allow for open fires,

thankfully, controlled fires are allowed in little alleyways like this.

Like zoning laws, food safety laws are less onerous than those found in the U.S. and Canada.

What this allows for is small little businesses that only have a few seats