Setting The Standard: The Surprises of Tokyo

My editorial this month comes to you from the Land of the Rising Sun. I’m in a city that’s absolutely abuzz with activity at any time of the day or night.

Amidst the neon signs and skyscrapers are the tiny kei cars, which are dwarfed by the decadent Toyota Crown taxis at every street corner. In fact, the Crown absolutely dominates your street level view in Tokyo. But its sheer quantity isn’t what makes it stand out – nor is it bright yellow like a NYC cab. What catches your eye, then, is the fact that every single taxicab in Tokyo gleams from end-to-end. Right from the crown on the flashy grille, to the mirror finish of the dark blue paint and the chrome wheels, these cars look like they’re turned out for a Concours d’Elegance rather than a day at the office. And when the driver hands you change via a spotless white glove, you can tell that he takes presentation very seriously indeed.

On top of that, they’re courteous, considerate and proud. And these qualities translate to the way they behave on the move as well – which is representative of the culture as a whole in fact. You could even go so far as to say that it’s one that seemingly borders on subservience. At any rate, if we were to pick up just a fraction of the manners that the Japanese display on the road, the traffic on our streets would be infinitely improved.

Come to think of it, I envy the Japanese taxi driver – not merely for the conditions in which he does his job, but because of the way he maintains his car. No matter how many times I wash and polish mine, the grime in the Capital casts a layer thick enough to warrant another wash about fifteen minutes later. And that’s provided no one nicks you while attempting to squeeze past – sending you straight to the paint shop instead of your intended destination.

Am I being over critical and painting an overtly pessimistic view? After all, our roads themselves are getting better – well, most highways are anyway – and since there are more new cars and bikes on the road everyday, most people are presumably less incentivised to spread carnage. At the end of the day, though, its easy to make excuses and seek out scapegoats, the question is – do we hold ourselves to the same standard that we set for others on the road? If so, then we could actually stand the chance of seeing a better future on our roads.