Useless things in Japan

[tokyo-gaijin]

Is there anything you think is useless in Japan?
Maybe something that other people, particularly Japanese, find useful, but you as a foreigner find useless.

[Since1990]

Shoe shops

[tokyo-gaijin]

Yes! i'd agree ^^
It's difficult to find clothes that fit, but shoes are the hardest. Regular shoe shops are useless >_<

[rubirosa]

Shaken is a useless waste of time and money.

Japanese companies build some of the best cars in the world, why on earth do they have to run them through that stupid inspection every year or two ?

Happoshu is also a useless item, I wouldn't let my dog drink that skunk p!ss.

[Hijinx]

Handicapped-designated parking spaces.

[Marius_II]

Japanese companies build some of the best cars in the world...

Friend in the biz told me cars here are built to break after about 10 years. Keeps the economy flowing. There's even r&d to make certain parts to have a certain lifespan.
That's why I am all for the Lada. The tiny, ugly workhorse that runs on anything you chug down its metal throat. And last forever. The Kalashnikov of personal transportation.

Oh, off topic.

Useless things in Japan:

- no smoking signs.
- elevator staff
- the thank-you-very-mashita screams at the conbini

[Since1990]

- elevator staff

Elevator staff are useful for kicking out people who are just in the elevator for a free ride, hence allowing room for the pram (stroller)!

[Marius_II]

Elevator staff are useful for kicking out people who are just in the elevator for a free ride, hence allowing room for the pram (stroller)!

Let me add

- people who are just in the elevator for a free ride

to my list.

Never met one though.

[Super Grover]

Excess "workers" in a construction crew (applies to every country of course)
Excess staff in a department store.
A shampoo guy and a massage guy at my barbershop.
POLICE!!!!
"Hormone" delicacies in konbini
And, finally, of course, JAL

[rubirosa]

Friend in the biz told me cars here are built to break after about 10 years.

Guy I know who is a mechanic who drives a 15 year old Crown with 150,000 k on it and whose wife drives a 12 year old something or other with similar milage says that Japanese cars are like airplanes; they will run forever if you do the mantenance on them.

[Chuck Fickens]

Is there anything you think is useless in Japan?
Maybe something that other people, particularly Japanese, find useful, but you as a foreigner find useless.

Eikaiwa teachers.

[Marius_II]

Japanese cars are like airplanes; they will run forever if you do the mantenance on them.

Like JAL?

The battle of friends who've told something to us. I'm up for that

If your friend is a mechanic I'd say it's reasonable to assume that he does more than just maintain his and his wives car like the average person.

Did you ever get a chance to check her oil, btw?

My guy: @ Toyota.
His verdict: 10+ year, parts start braking down one by one until it's more economical to buy a new car.

Not a lot of old (Japanese) cars being sold at the bidders bay down Tokyo way.
If there are, they go way under 300.000. Way under. Just saying.

Where's that guy on here...the dude who's into exporting cars. I'd like his opinion too.

[ootoya]

Was this recently? My mom had a '78 Corolla that just started leaking oil in 2000. Got $300 in store credit for it from the dealership!

[Marius_II]

Was this recently? My mom had a '78 Corolla that just started leaking oil in 2000. Got $300 in store credit for it from the dealership!

Different builds, and likely stricter laws & regulations on business practice abroad.

Should the above practice be proven & reported over there it'd kill any company. Especially one from abroad.

Btw, seen many older domestic cars here?
Take people who say "Japanese just want to present a nice image, they don't want older cars" with a grain of salt.

[rubirosa]

Was this recently? My mom had a '78 Corolla that just started leaking oil in 2000. Got $300 in store credit for it from the dealership!

Go easy on him.

He's a mod !

A simple mod at that. He can't figure out that this so called buddy of his just wants him to buy a new car so he can keep his job.

All the car makers are doing it you know; telling their employees to get everyone they know to buy a new car or face wage cuts.

[Marius_II]

Simple I am indeed.

He told me 10 years ago, btw.

Back on topic,
Rubi, what brands of happoushu do you avoid when getting your dog drunk? All?

[Ishtar of Babylon]

Handicapped-designated parking spaces.

What sort or response is that? From a moderator no less.

I do hope karma does not come and bite you or anyone you know back for that. SMH. And there are disabled foreigners in Japan you know.

[Ishtar of Babylon]

In response to the OP - bathroom slippers.

[nynapaj]

Friend in the biz told me cars here are built to break after about 10 years. Keeps the economy flowing. There's even r&d to make certain parts to have a certain lifespan.

All cars from free market economy countries are like that. American cars don't suck by mistake!
To that list, I will add a few things that are designed to break, but don't have to. This insures future business-
Computers (HD), cellphones (battery) and other small electronics, "designer" clothes (they fall apart much faster than cheap clothes), light bulbs, washing machines. vacuum cleaners, AC/heaters/air filters, shoes, and guitar strings.

[Chuck Fickens]

What sort or response is that? From a moderator no less.

I do hope karma does not come and bite you or anyone you know back for that. SMH. And there are disabled foreigners in Japan you know.

I'd have to agree with that.

Attacking disabled people is a fool's game.

[trip_hop]

Attacking disabled people is a fool's game.

US comedienne Lisa Lampanelli was attacked by a disabled member of her audience for NOT making fun of him.

She'd had a go at everyone in the front row but him, and he wanted to know why she was treating him differently from everyone else!

He had a point...

[Ishtar of Babylon]

US comedienne Lisa Lampanelli was attacked by a disabled member of her audience for NOT making fun of him.

She'd had a go at everyone in the front row but him, and he wanted to know why she was treating him differently from everyone else!

He had a point...

With context I agree. But there is a bigger picture for example Woody Allen/etc being able to make jokes about jews but anyone else it it seen as anti-Semitic.

As a stand alone comment made by a moderator of this forum I personally found it in bad taste and totally unnecessary. Especially considering there are (foreign) posters on this forum who would appreciate such a thing as designated parking spaces for special people.

[Hijinx]

What sort or response is that? From a moderator no less.

I do hope karma does not come and bite you or anyone you know back for that. SMH. And there are disabled foreigners in Japan you know.

Is this my favorite troll, benpi? Too dense to understand the comment I made? Figures--hehehehe. Let me spell it out for you in simple language:

Handicapped parking is necessary.
I live in Japan.
I see non-handicapped people using handicapped parking spaces 80% of the time. (sorry, that sentence was too long for you)
Seems useless to label them as such.
Get it?

[Ishtar of Babylon]

Let me spell it out for you in simple language:

Handicapped parking is necessary.
I live in Japan.
I see non-handicapped people using handicapped parking spaces 80% of the time. (sorry, that sentence was too long for you)
Seems useless to label them as such.
Get it?

Your original comment was in response to the OP "Is there anything you think is useless in Japan?
Maybe something that other people, particularly Japanese, find useful, but you as a foreigner find useless. " stated "Handicapped-designated parking spaces. "

But now you retract that by saying handicapped parking is necessary and put your comment into context (you see non-handicapped people using the designated parking spaces)...

Right-0 and maybe the next time you see such people you could mention their misuse to the parking attendant instead of shrugging off such much needed facilities/courtesies.

Rant/explanation appreciated.

[Hijinx]

Are you happy I'm playing along with you? Consider it an early holiday gift.

[talibanana]

jingles (supermarkets, department stores, while crossing the street, at train stations, when your trash gets picked up, etc.)

10% off sales ( I mean, is it really worth it?)

point cards (yet, everyone has 30 or more because they feel they are getting some kind of bargain)

masks (esp. on the cute girls................"Hey........take that mask off so I can see you, stupid!!")

vitamins that help you reduce your weight (oh, really now?)

cellulite rollers (WTF?)

police that tell me to turn my bicycle light on at night..............then again, not much crime so guess they have nothing better to do

bullhorns

[Hijinx]

Parking attendants
Red lights
Stop signs

[Joe Hanshin]

butsumetsu, kotatsu, happoshu and televised ekiden

[jinseinosensei]

INKAN STAMPS...!

Nothing more useless than INKAN STAMPS...!

[Since1990]

In response to the OP - bathroom slippers.

What?!! How disgusting of you not to use them. Do you mean to say you just use your main sliippers or your socks to walk into the toilet and then prance around the living room!!!

[Hijinx]

Plastic grass in food packaging.

[Akuma]

- shower stools, who the f### needs to sit when showering...stand up you lazy f***!!!!
- overtime at work
- repetitive idiot announcements at train stations, as well as in the trains
- business suits
- politicians noise polluting the neighbourhod with megaphones
- sodai-gomi and racist's car's noise pollution
- self-congratulatory bullshit...
- 3 pickles as a side dish
- konkatsu
- table charge at bars

[iago]

Arrows on the stairs at subway stations telling you which side to walk up and which side to walk down.
The compulsory insurance that comes with the Shaken.
Key money.
The little bit at the end of toothpicks that you can break off to make a toothpick rest.

[6koala8]

Those little men with the lightsabers who make sure I get around that little hole that fifty men are digging safely.

[Trichophyton-in-my-pants]

Those little men with the lightsabers who make sure I get around that little hole that fifty men are digging safely.

Reminds me of this other day. A 10x2 strip of asphalt was being laid down by 9 men. One in the orange car-like thing, one with a showel, one with a lightsaber and 6 standing around and observing the guy drive the orange thing smoking cigarettes and shooting the bull.

Guess which guys are in the highest echelons in the payslip?

Also, Fifi The Television Talent.

[Kaonashi]

駐輪禁止 signs are about as effective as handicapped parking, I've found.

[speedboat]

The white line on the side of the road that signifies that the 10 cm space on the outside is for pedestrians, not cars.

[talibanana]

gargling and more gargling

[edin日本]

Guy I know who is a mechanic who drives a 15 year old Crown with 150,000 k on it and whose wife drives a 12 year old something or other with similar milage says that Japanese cars are like airplanes; they will run forever if you do the mantenance on them.

Not true! Aircraft if properly maintained will last for years but due to metal fatigue and stress to the airframe after 15 years of use you are literally flying in a death trap. Titanium, the metal of choice for building airframes looks like Swiss cheese after 15 years and crumples like cardboard after 20.

[Koenji]

Not true! Aircraft if properly maintained will last for years but due to metal fatigue and stress to the airframe after 15 years of use you are literally flying in a death trap. Titanium, the metal of choice for building airframes looks like Swiss cheese after 15 years and crumples like cardboard after 20.

Most running vintage cars in the world are NOT Japanese. I had a 1961 MGA, made in England, until just recently. It ran fine, with a cast-iron block originally designed for a tractor.

When Japanese cars first shipped to N. America in big numbers in the 1970s, they were controversial for their flimsiness. They lacked water jackets between the cylinders and other measures that ensure a proper lifespan.