How to make a right hand turn in Japan...

[Japan-Games.com]

If you're ever driving in Japan, there are specific instructions for making a right hand turn at a traffic light. This is only used on roads that have two lanes in each direction and no dedicated turning lane.

1. Get in the right hand lane.

2. Come to a full and complete stop at the red light.

3. Wait for a car to stop behind you.

4. Wait until the lane next to you fills up and blocks the guy behind you from changing lanes.

5. Wait until the light turns green.

6. Turn on your turn signal.

[Yakumo]

I don't get it. That's what you have to do anyway isn't it? Let me see if I'm missing something.

THis morning on the way to work I pull in to the right lane because that's where I want to turn (would work on the left as well I guess). Stop because the lights are on red. Cars pull up in the lane to the left of me and behind. Lights turn green so turn right as do with a few others following me.

Hmm, I know there's a joke in there somewhere but I can't find it. Maybe because the UK and Japan drive on the same side??

Yakumo

EDIT * I get it. Yep, you live in Kita Kyushu right Eric! Yep, these fuckers in Kita Kyushu have no idea how to use an indicator. I see your point now. I F*ing hate driving to Kita Kyushu every day for work. Yamaguchi drivers are far better.

[ccovell]

Yeah, I'm sure Japanese drivers' antics bug you when you're driving on the streets with them...

Try walking around Japan in regular urban/suburban areas without nearly being killed by drivers who dart out of small lanes without stopping at marked stop lines, making left or right turns without ever slowing down to check for pedestrians, etc etc etc... Japanese drivers drive me nuts with their seemingly oblivious attitude towards pedestrians, even though the laws do give pedestrians the right-of-way.

>:-(

[Maks]

Bad Asian drivers? I've never heard of such things! :icon_bigg

[GaijinPunch]

This is how you do it on a bicycle:

-Weave in and out of cars to get to the front of the lane.
-Wait until the light is green, or has only been red for a short enough time for other cars to not start going
-Haul ass and make your right turn

Very few people actually ride their bikes in the street here in the city though, so they're usually a bit freaked out to begin w/ when they see you riding beside them.

[sven666]

what are you guys on about, the traffic in Japan was a cakewalk!

you should try driving in greece, thailand, london or paris for that matter :dance:

[GaijinPunch]

It's not that it's bad, it's that there's a lot of it. I can't really speak for the sticks, but Tokyo has cars everywhere. It's nothing compared to Seoul though. That place is the worst. The one time I went to Thailand wasn't bad, but I feared for my life in the cab.

[Yakumo]

It depends upon what part of Japan you are in. You see in Yamaguchi where I live we have pretty good drivers who follow the rules and give way. Drive 30 minutes to Kita Kyushu and you'll find yourself in a hell hole for drivers. These people don't give way, go from lane to lane without indicating, drive right up your arse and basically piss me off. The amount of times I've shouted "F*cking Wanker" at someone this year is unbelievable. I did hear that Osaka is the worst place in Japan for driving manners though.

Yakumo

[ASSEMbler]

I did hear that Osaka is the worst place in Japan for manners though.

Fixed.

[GaijinPunch]

Fixed.

Not while there's those US military bases on Okinawa.

[ASSEMbler]

Everyone knows to avoid those areas. The people there are, well, soldiers. Don't expect the same behavior as say a campus of scholars.

The Japanese also exploit the bases quite well!

The Japanese pepper the area with bars and prostitutes,
and let's not forget the Japanese invented the "Gogo bar"
Though I doubt most people in the states understand the origin
or the fact that the names is Japanese.

I'll put it to you this way, they aren't exaclty surrounding these bases with book reading clubs and bonsai shops...
That's the price you pay to get a few billion a year out of soldiers.

[GaijinPunch]

Everyone knows to avoid those areas.

And what of those fortunate enough to live (having grown up) in the area.


Everyone knows to avoid those areas.

If you think Japan is responsible for "the oldest profession in the world", you might want to reconsider (hence it's name).

But, there are neighborhoods in Tokyo far saucier than anything near a base. (EDIT: some of which are apparently going to be cleaned up soon). That's kind of beside the point though. Nothing you can say can really excuse some of the behavior that goes on there... whether it's baited or not. Never heard one case like those in Kansai/Okinawa while I was in Hawaii, and there's an assload of military there (w/ tons of prostitution and that other good stuff)

It's not just the drunk morons either. In Osaka they crashed a fucking helicoptor into a dormatory (this is well off base, fyi) and then unlawfully qurrrantined the area to retrieve it, keeping out Japanese police officers. I would've shot one of them in the foot and told them to fuck off and get in their own jurisdiction before waving around machine guns. Good thing I'm not a Japanese police officer.

[Japan-Games.com]

heh Jeeze I just wanted to make a joke about people not using their turn signal until it's too late, now we're getting into shooting soldiers? It's like a YouTube session....start with a video about a game and the next thing you know you're watching videos about a guy who can whistle N'Sync songs through his nose.

[GaijinPunch]

This is actually quite tame. I can point you to some really childish threads (mainly on other forums).

[ServiceGames]

Not while there's those US military bases on Okinawa.

Hey they're not all bad. I was born on one of them.

[ASSEMbler]

For all the problems they cause, the money they put into the Japanese economy is why the politicians side with the US. That and the protection.

If the Japanese had to build up their own armies to be suitable for self protection, it would damage the economy badly.

Either way, a soldier attitude is easy to notice and if you don't have a shaved head you'll be fine.

I think our unfortunate friends of *cough* chinese descent have it FAR worse. Worse than the nigerians for sure.

Japanese nightmare is a mob of "thieving" chinese taking over Japan via illegal or legal immigration.

[GaijinPunch]

For all the problems they cause, the money they put into the Japanese economy is why the politicians side with the US. That and the protection.

If the Japanese had to build up their own armies to be suitable for self protection, it would damage the economy badly.

1: That's not really an option if there were no immediate threat though, is it?
1B: Nobody's going anywhere w/ the whole North Korea issue, and as much as the Japanese hate to admit it, it's the truth.
2: How much money could they put into the economy? You're talking about a fraction of the populace of the country, many of whom spend the majority of their money on base (in America, as it were). Wikipedia says (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Forces_Japan) a bit over 33,000 US military personnel in the whole country. I always thought it was more. Anyways, they don't really pay rent on those bases either. I read that the US Embassy in Akasaka runs $15,000 a year (and they were delinquent in payments for years at one time - The lot could easily generate millions of USD a month).
Actually here (http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=61124) is the source. 200 yen per square meter. My rent is 3,333 yen per square meter in a less central (although central) location to put that into perspective. This article (http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/okinawa.htm) states the Okinawa bases are rent free. Last I checked, land in Okinawa is obscenely expensive. That alone would make it "not worth it" if you're looking at economics of the situation alone. I understand there is protection from commies, and the whole WWII thing thrown into the mix.


Japanese nightmare is a mob of "thieving" chinese taking over Japan via illegal or legal immigration.

Yeah, well, when you're in one of the few demographs below the poverty line and many members of your race do somewhat high profile crimes (murder your host family, hold up stores, etc.) and then leave the country, people don't forget. I'm not saying it's right to lump all Chinese together, but it makes it somewhat understandable.

[ccovell]

The Japanese pepper the area with bars and prostitutes,
and let's not forget the Japanese invented the "Gogo bar"
Though I doubt most people in the states understand the origin
or the fact that the names is Japanese.

I'm not saying you're wrong, but a well-known columnist has put forward his own explanation of the origins of the word: http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_266c.html

[GaijinPunch]

While on the red-light topic,read this:
http://www.thailandstories.com/article/non-fiction/humor/conversation-with-a-bar-girl.html

Hillarious...even more so if you've ever been to Bangkok.

[ccovell]

My god, she talks like a 4-year-old!

And that's an image I do NOT want to have when I'm doing a girl! ...Though I hear some folks go for that sort of thing. Hence, Gary Glitter.

[GaijinPunch]

Thailand is unbelievable though. All girls have the same story, "Trying to open up a beauty salon, need money, etc. etc.". Some poor sucker leaves Thailand thinking he's got a sweet, entrepeneur for a girlfriend, when it's just some bar girl who'll put her legs in the air for anyone.

[the_steadster]

ThaiExpert is not a real person, and his views, which can be rather offensive at times, are not to be taken seriously. The story is meant to be seen as satire, and is in no way trying to put down or the Thai people.
Furthermore, ThaiExpert's views and opinions in no way represent the views of this website or its owners.
So, please read this as it was intended, to entertain, not to offend.
Bear that in mind when reading the story...

[GaijinPunch]

Bear that in mind when reading the story...

That's just his disclaimer. I'm pretty sure the interview was real. Have you ever been to Bangkok? This is not hard to believe at all... just funny to actually hear from the other side.

[Alchy]

I don't know, this is definitely not real:
Me: OK. This brings me to my next point. Now that you have been working in "Boom-Boom Ago-go Bar and Knocking Shop" for over four years...

Lek: Two week....

Me: Oh, sorry yes, two weeks, I am a bit surprised that you still speak such mangled English....

Lek: Well, as a matter of fact, all bar girls speak idiomatically correct English. However, it is an indisputable fact that potential customers get severely intimidated by exceptional fluency. We all therefore feel that it is perhaps better to camouflage our linguistic ability to avoid a potential loss of income. This way customer him happy, happy a lot, No?There's still more truth than fiction in that interview, anyway...