Proud of local pride

A couple of things I have really grown to appreciate about life in Japan include the attention to detail in many aspects of life, and the pride and respect that people have for their communities. I saw this in action this week when a number of people were literally pulling weeds from the curbside along one of our main streets. There was no city worker in sight, and it wasn't a formal cleanup crew, just a handful of locals doing their part to keep the neighborhood looking its best.

It reminded me of how, back in Australia, community upkeep tends to fall squarely on councils or government-run services. While plenty of Australians do take pride in their neighborhoods (not dissing my home country at all!) I would say that the sense of collective responsibility feels different. In Japan, there seems to be more of an unspoken understanding that everyone has a role to play in maintaining shared spaces, as evidenced by business owners sweeping the front of their shops, residents separating trash with care, or in this case, people taking time from their day to beautify the streetscape.