Now, I have lived in Matsumoto for a fair old while, but there is always something 'new' that usually has me scratching my head in dismay! Here are the final results of pair-worked brainstorming.
Anything on this list strike you as particularly practical, or utterly bonkers?
You must do the following:
• separate your rubbish (steel v aluminium cans, plastic v organic etc)
•put rubbish in the designated place, on the designated day, in the designated bag (one city I know has 41 different ways the locals have to split their rubbish!) after dawn
•write your name on your rubbish bags
•take a turn to be 'rubbish monitor'
•carry i/d (if you are foreign)
You mustn't/can't do the following:
•fly tipping
•burn your own rubbish or anything else in your garden
•put your rubbish out the night before
•park in the street
•ride a bike in a pedestrian area
•throw away rubbish in black bags
You can do the following:
•smoke in the street (depends on the ward)
•drink in street
•set off fireworks (but not in parks/school yards)
You don't have to do the following:
•register your bike (but it's a good idea)
•cross the street at a crossing (but everyone does)
You shouldn't:
•make a racket late at night
What's the daftest neighbourhood rule in your town? We'd love to hear!
Posted by Toshimasa, Ayaka, Teruki, Takeshi, Chisato, Teruki
This morning as I opened my front door to go to work, I realised I should have been up with the neighbours at 6am to hang straw & paper bunting along the streets - something a good neighbour has to do before a local festival. Now the family is shamed!
ReplyDeleteThere is a chance to redeem our sullied reputation, but only if I get up at 6am on Sunday and help take the decorations down. This is something I loathe - in Japanese the word is 'giri' - having to do something that is a real pain in the proverbial, but a civic duty everyone pretends to enjoy doing...