Monday, November 26, 2012

INTERESTING JAPANESE CULTURE THINGY #2: Cell Phones

So, upon coming to Japan, we were all given the option of signing up for a prepaid cell phone service. Like Virgin Mobile or Metro PCS, Softbank's prepaid options use proprietary handsets that only work on their service. Therefore, we got to become very comfortable with using a cell phone probably most akin to a model from 2003. A flip phone, available in white or black, with the option to be used either in English or Japanese at the press of a button. While ridiculously old school, it brought me back to the days where all you had was text and calling. Not being so connected to the world 24/7 is refreshing in it's own way, and it's prompted me to consider giving up my cell phone plan back in America for something more simple.

Surprisingly, while there are plenty of people here who use iPhones (very few use Android or Windows phones, from what I've noticed), the majority I've seen opts for these old-style phones. One big difference is that these old phones have a small hole with which people often attach charms to. These charms can be something akin to a little souvenir medallion one might find while going abroad (Kyoto, for example, had cell phone charms galore) or they can be like absurdly oversized plushies with a tiny loop to attach it to the phone. You will frequently come across teenage girls who attach dozens and dozens of charms to a single phone, creating this mass of cuteness that jingles and rattles with it's many bells and whistles, quite literally. The new smartphones like the iPhone and Android sets do not have this space for whatever reason (to keep the device slim, to adhere to the minimalist style, etc.), but almost every flip phone out here has the slot for these charms.

I really wonder if that is a factor to the Japanese people in the market for a new cell phone, whether their new device will have a slot for charms. People proudly display charms of their favorite anime/manga characters, cutesy animals with silly faces, and more, so I gather there are those who would choose something besides a smartphone just so they can continue using their many charms. There are also charms that probably reflect a particular memory for someone, like going to Disneyland or the Studio Ghibli museum, so keeping a bunch of charms on a phone can perhaps be likened to keeping a scrapbook, inspiring pleasant memories of days long past.

My final observation while handling cell phones here in Japan: there is a big focus on keeping your phone in "manner mode", or vibrate-only mode. In the train culture, it is rude to talk on your cell phone while riding, such that it is even mentioned from time to time over the intercom to "please set your phones to silent mode and refrain from talking on your cell phones". An example of an unwritten rule becoming a rule of sorts. However, when I first set my phone to manner mode, I took note of a strange contradiction: this phone was not completely silent. Indeed, whenever I would use the crappy, outdated camera on the back, even if the phone was set to complete silent mode, it would always take pictures accompanied with a loud shutter sound. I looked around for options everywhere to turn this off, but to no avail. And then I started to wonder why that was. Was it only my phone that was this way, or was there something else going on?

And then it hit me. Perverts on the trains. With how packed the trains can be sometimes, it is much like being a sardine in a can. People with bodies touching, no room to move one's hands in front of themselves, similar to being at the pit of a rock concert. An unfortunate result of this is that women can be sexually molested on trains with no idea who the culprit is. Due to various social norms and pressures, traditionally women do not always cry out at the act being committed, allowing the perverts to walk away scot-free. In addition to this, with the advent of high-definition cameras now being used on cell phones, one could easily slip their phone's camera underneath a woman's skirt and take a picture. It may sound strange, but it is a common enough occurrence such that Japanese cell phones now cannot have their camera shutter sound function turned off. This is so that anyone around knows when a picture is taken. And why else would someone take a picture of the floor in a packed train car than to snag an upskirt shot? This (hopefully) has served as a deterrent for possible criminals, as they would certainly not want to be caught in the act and be shamed while waiting for their train ride to conclude. The feeling of shame here is a major factor in what norms exist, and this case is no different. Therefore, cell phone companies seem to have complied and worked to help alter the invasive behaviors of the perverts in Japan.

Thus concludes my interesting Japanese cultural thingy #2. On the next episode: Japanese arcades - fun for the whole family, guaranteed.

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