We’re currently finishing up some construction on the land behind J-List, erecting a concrete wall to keep rainwater from running from our land to the neighboring field, which is owned by a local farmer. A few months ago the farmer came to tell about the drainage problem and ask us to fix it, so we called a construction company and had them give us a bid. If there’s a “golden rule” to Japanese society it’s that everyone should avoid causing 迷惑 meiwaku — a word which means inconvenience, nuisance or bother — to others, and once it became apparent we were causing meiwaku to our neighbor, we were required by unwritten Japanese social rules to fix the problem, even though it cost us $6000 to have the wall built. This “don’t cause inconvenience to others” system is one of the fundamental building blocks of Japanese society, and one reason they can get along with one lawyer for every 5000 people compared with one for every 250 people in the U.S. By and large, Japanese go their entire lives without ever encountering a lawsuit in any form, in part thanks to this proactive social rule that encourages people to avoid inconveniencing others and to take responsibility for causing problems when asked to do so.
Actually I’d be okay with someone putting on yuri-play on the train.
