These trees have a story to tell.
Japan has its share of troubles, but one of them isn't vandalism nor is it random criminality like it seems is so frequent in the USA or other European and some Asian nations. Japan is well known for a very low crime rate. It is astounding especially when you consider that in Tokyo, a city of over 65 million people, that crime is so low.
I could run all sorts of statistics about crime in Japan compared to other countries but those are plentiful. Today, I'd like to give you some anecdotal evidence of how safe Japan is by showing you some trees.
There is an old guy who has several dozen Bonsai trees outside of his house and next to a big apartment building just 30 seconds walk from Yoga Station. Yoga is in Setagaya-ku in Tokyo and is about 10 minutes ride from Shibuya station. So we are talking about a big city here folks.
He has all his trees lined up outside where people can walk by and touch them.
Nobody steals them. Nobody knocks them over in a spate of vandalism.
These beautiful trees just sit there and bring some nature into the lives of people crammed into the big city.
It's nice to see these trees. It's nice the old guy takes care of them and allows them to brighten our days.
Their existence outside is a testament to the peacefulness of Japan and low crime rate. I think they speak volumes about what kind of a society Japan is.... Much better than crime statistics ever could.
7 comments:
Me thinks kids in Japan don't act out against the bonsai trees. Instead they bully their classmates.
Perhaps bullying in Japanese schools is a hot topic because the problems such as drug abuse or teenage pregnancy are not prevalent in Japan as they are in American schools?
Bullying is a world wide problem that transcends culture. In Japan it is a problem like it is in just about every other country. In fact, when compared to the pure physical violence that is common in western bullying, Japan does quite well. In Japan, bullying is usually not physical but it comes on the form of exclusion from groups. http://prevnet.ca/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=lcqfB1vwzCQ%3D&tabid=392
Here's some other facts for you: American schools harbor approximately 2.1 million bullies and 2.7 million of their victims
... Bullying statistics say revenge is the strongest motivation for school shootings. Bully Facts & Statistics: www.makebeatsnotbeatdowns.org/facts_new.html
It is estimated that American 160,000 children miss school every day due to fear of attack or intimidation by other students. Source: National Education Association.
- American schools harbor approximately 2.1 million bullies and 2.7 million of their victims. Dan Olweus, National School Safety Center.
- 1 in 7 Students in Grades K-12 is either a bully or a victim of bullying.
- 56% of students have personally witnessed some type of bullying at school.
- 15% of all school absenteeism is directly related to fears of being bullied at school.
- 71% of students report incidents of bullying as a problem at their school.
- 1 out of 20 students has seen a student with a gun at school.
- 282,000 students are physically attacked in secondary schools each month.
- Those in the lower grades reported being in twice as many fights as those in the higher grades. However, there is a lower rate of serious violent crimes in the elementary level than in the middle or high schools.
- 90% of 4th through 8th graders report being victims of bullying
- Among students, homicide perpetrators were more than twice as likely as homicide victims to have been bullied by peers.
- Bullying statistics say revenge is the strongest motivation for school shootings.
- 87% of students said shootings are motivated by a desire to “get back at those who have hurt them.”
- 86% of students said, “other kids picking on them, making fun of them or bullying them” causes teenagers to turn to lethal violence in the schools.
- 61% of students said students shoot others because they have been victims of physical abuse at home.
- 54% of students said witnessing physical abuse at home can lead to violence in school.
- According to bullying statistics, 1 out of every 10 students who drops out of school does so because of repeated bullying.
- Harassment and bullying have been linked to 75% of school-shooting incidents.
Y'know - perhaps because I'm a gaijin, I often thought about swiping one of the many bonsai trees in my town. I loved them... but always remembered that someone else loved them, and I am not a thief.
The thought was there, though. Shameful, I know.
And the fact that nobody steals the beer vending machines. - Kevin Riley, Osaka
Beer vending machines?
You've got beer vending machines?
Wow.
I'm having difficulty visualizing the wonderful liberty of this concept.
You're joking, right?
Do you have cigarette vending machines too? I miss those.
Also, how do those guys get the trees to grow in such small pots?
It was refreshing to read/see this post. Tyvm.
- IndividualAudienceMember
Really! Japan does have beer & Alcohol vending machines
"beer & Alcohol vending machines"
And alcohol? Double-wow.
One thing that IS easy to visualize is the conniption fits the do-gooders* would throw if that were allowed anywhere in the unitedstate.
I wonder, are do-gooders seen differently in Japan? As compared to in the unitedstate.
* Spell check suggest do-goobers in place of do-gooders. Ha! What's a do-goober? I know what a goober is, but do-goober? Seems fitting enough anyway.
- IndividualAudienceMember
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