Sometimes television news stories that go on and on about inane minutia - like a prefectural breakdown of the number of people who died from choking on mochi (rice cakes?) over the New Year. And sometimes I roll my eyes. Hiro takes a disturbing amount of consolation from it being an indication that Japan is a peaceful nation...and that is why they have time to devote to nation building through mochi comparisons. But the other day I was out and Jietai (the self defence force - Japan's equivalent of an army since it's bound to have an army) was out and about picking up rubbish in the neighbourhood... Each armed with a plastic bag they were collecting bottle tops and cigarette butts and flyaway paper and plastic....
Maybe Japan really is a peaceful country...
Maybe Japan really is a peaceful country...
3 comments:
I love it! I can't wait to get there.
I think Japan is definitely a peaceful country, I often see police officers on duty armed with nothing more than a stick! But our military folks do trash patrol too. It's a monthly event, they gather at the main gate, and head into Fussa to pick up garbage, it's a goodwill gesture/community building thing. And no one can ever accuse the U.S. of being peaceful!
Good for the US military :)
I'm impressed!
Do they do it in the US too?
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