Talking to strangers — whether it be a quick warble about the weather or a moan about the train being more than a minute late — is typically not the done thing in Tokyo, which, for me at least, always seems like a loss, as random bits of friendliness, or a quick conversation, can often make a bad day much more bearable.
So, with this in mind, it was particularly pleasant to see these two old ladies, who initially didn’t seem to know each other, enjoying a right good natter on an already nice afternoon made noticeably nicer.
Number9 says
A lack of social interaction used to frustrate me during my time in Japan. Except when everyone was drunk……
yasukostyle says
I like to chat with people, so it doesn’t stop me even when I’m in Japan. When I initiate a chat, they usually respond. In general, Japanese are shy, but middle aged and older people are pretty friendly especially women. People in Osaka are very sociable too. Japanese people are shy toward non-Japanese, because they assume that there is a language barrier.
These ladies look very sweet. There is really a nice warm feeling in this image. Thank you.
Linette says
I love how they mirror each other. They are friendly and formal. Very nice once again.
Lee says
Thanks! Friendly and formal I think sums them up absolutely perfectly.