My image of Japan before moving here was that of a polite and
reserved
culture that treasures quiet and subtlety. Boy was I
wrong.
Japan can be louder than a rock concert held at a jet engine testing
facility, and I'm shocked with what people can get away with
here. While the US strictly enforces various
disturbing-the-peace
laws, Japan either lacks such laws or fails to enforce
them. Either way, Japan would vastly improve itself if only it
could attenuate the volume.
Japan needs to ban noisy political
vans.
I dread election season in Japan. Political party vans suited
with massive horn speakers stroll through the neighborhood blasting
cacophonic candidate promotion and rambling propaganda.
Multiple
vans drown each other out so that any single intended message
becomes a
eardrum-busting stew of noise. It's the most obnoxious form of
promotion and only encourages the local residents to vote for the
candidate NOT doing it. Tell me--how does annoying your voter
base forward your political aspirations?
It's a clear case of preventable noise pollution and should be
banned. Furthermore, levy stiff fines on offenders. I'm
all
for the freedom of speech, but it has to come with an opt-out option
for those that don't want to listen. As there is no opt-out
with
a 5000-watt car PA system that puts any red scare era air raid siren
to
shame, save our ears and make the practice illegal.
Japan needs to fine and/or arrest
noisy motorcycle gangs.
Particularly during the warm summer months, motorcycle gangs (暴走族)
mounted on 5000-decibel muffler-less noise-makers stream along
favorite
roads throughout Japan. I'm baffled at how they get away with
this. In the US, such Japanese-style bikes with mufflers
purposely removed would be impounded and/or ticketed.
Accordingly, the rider would be forced to get the bike's sound
output
fixed or face license and/or vehicle registration suspension.
A
motored vehicle creating an excessive level of noise is unlawful to
drive in the USA--and rightfully so.
Not so in Japan. Again this is a prime example of preventable
noise pollution that's allowed to continue. Local law
enforcement
is either intimidated by or cannot catch the biker gang
offenders. But that's no excuse. Japan with all its
technology shouldn't even have to pull them over. Catch them
on
camera and suspend their riding privileges. If that doesn't
work,
suspend their medical insurance, pension, etc. Make them what
they are--criminal leeches that should be punished for the
unnecessary
burden they place on society. If anyone could pull it off,
hi-tech socialist Japan could.
Sometimes I feel like I'm in a Charles Bronson movie--motorcycle
gangs
rule the streets and the cops are too afraid to care. So
please,
Japan, make it illegal and fine and/or arrest them. If not, I
may
just turn vigilante and start clothes-lining them off their
bikes. One ample chain pulled taut across the road would do
the
trick, right?
To Conclude
I wouldn't live here if Japan weren't a good country. But a
few
disturbing-the-peace laws with requisite enforcement would get Japan
on
the road to being a great country. I know Japan can do
it.
I've seen first-hand the banning of noisy live concerts in public
places (Osaka's Umeda district & Tokyo's Hibiya Park, for
example). The more profound question is who's harder to
shut up--the biker gangs or the politicians?
I have to agree with you on the politicians (we get them here is quiet rural Niigata also); however, maybe rather oddly I actually like the sound of motorcycle engines (I like good drummers also). Maybe pointing out the damage it does to the engine eventually will wean a few of em off the practice of removing mufflers. But I wouldnt advertise using sea fishing line between lamp posts either; people actually criminalise such behaviour.
+0
... written by Krys,
November 14, 2011
You make a great point on both cases. My first apartment here in Tokyo was mostly wood-based, and any passing vote-for-me-vote-for-me vans would literally shake the walls, in spite of me closing the windows and shutters and purchasing massively bulky headsets.
Concerning the bikers, I found it rather hilarious that the clothesline idea came to you as well. In that first apartment, such an idea was always on my mind.
Actually I once heard that such a trap was set by a youth some years ago. Sadly it was not a ridiculously noisy idiot that was caught, instead it was a lone female motorcyclist who lost her life (or so I heard).
Moving on though, another noise-based problem that scores not too highly on the decibel chart is one that I find nevertheless exasperating around the city, especially on public transport. There are plenty of commonly followed public transport "moral suggestions" such as not chatting openly on the phone, keeping your headset volume down enough so as not to share the treble with the rest of the passengers, and even not doing your make-up on the way to work... Yet it seems to be perfectly acceptable to clear the back of one's throat or nasal cavity longly and loudly, or otherwise be constantly sucking the individual bits of food out from between one's teeth, right by the next person's ear, and oh yes, longly and loudly once again. Although I don't think there should necessarily be a law against this, if they are willing to make cute posters to battle taking a subtle sip of your Sprite whilst on the train, they might as well do one to silence these foul, noisy old men as well. Yes!
Now I normally have respect for my fellow Japanese for being so reasonable and understanding (in other situations), but it seems as though a few too many are taking advantage of the 'avoid speaking to strangers' culture to be a bit of a public nuisance.
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