Ed wrote:

> Japanese are not kind.
> 
Coming to this conversation late, but suprised it took twelve years. 
When our son was six or so months old my wife went to back to Japan for 
a few months to be with her family. She said not once did anyone bother 
to hold open a door for her when she'd go out with our son in the 
stroller. In fact, one instance stands out clearly for her. She was 
struggling in a very chilly rain (very light) one morning, holding an 
umbrella, opening the door to the Sanyo in Himeji, trying to push the 
stroller with her leg, when a man pushed through in front of her. Bad 
enough that he didn't help out, didn't hold the door or something, but 
he actually pushed his way through like she was holding the door for him.

One sign of the more or less pervasive 'lack of kindness' is the lack of 
escalators going in both directions, if they exist at all. The system 
was built and designed for young healthy workers; no consideration was 
given for the elderly or handicapped.

John W.