Apud necoandjeff <spam@schrepfer.com> (sci.lang.japan) hoc legimus:
>Does anyone know the origin of driving on the left side of the street in
>Japan? I seem to recall hearing from someone a long time ago (it may have
>even been my Iaido buddies) that it was actually an established custom long
>before automobiles, and that passing on the left had to do with drawing
>one's sword (if you were to pass on the right it would be difficult to draw
>your sword and strike in the event you are attacked since you draw from left
>to right.) A friend, on the other hand, seems to think it was a more recent
>development and had to do with an early association between Japan and
>British motor car companies. I did a quick Google search and didn't come up
>with much.

I've heard the sword-related theory. I've also heard the theory that the
first automobile was Meiji's, which came with a British driver. He drove on 
the left, so everyone else did too.

-- 
Jim Breen        http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jwb/
Computer Science & Software Engineering,
Monash University, VIC 3800, Australia 
ジム・ブリーン@モナシュ大学