A couple of fun games to play in Japan....

1. Get in an elevator. There must be two button panels, one on each side. Stand very, very close to the right button panel. Not touching, but maybe just 5-10 cm of space between you and the buttons.

Now, watch as people enter the elevator. They will, 100% of the time, try to squeeze their hand between you and the buttons to push their floor, even tho there is another panel on the left side which is unblocked. They just *have* to use the right panel for whatever reason.

You can adjust your distance to make more of a challenege for them.

2. Go to Coco Ichi Curry. Order a salad with your main dish. After they bring the salad, carefully surround the area of the table directly in front of you with objects. Use your salad bowl, take out each dressing, napkin, drink, etc. Use nearly everything on the table so they area in front of you is totally cluttered and the rest of the table is clear.

When the server comes, keep eating your salad and don't look up. Just keep eating. Although the table is 90% clear and 10% cluttered, they will try to fit your plate into the 10% cluttered space. They just have to get that plate right in front of you.

Enjoy

 

Here's one that I think we've all played from time to time:

Get completely loaded. Drink until you can't stand, walk, or talk. Attempt to walk to the station. Pass out in the middle of the sidewalk (must be the middle). Notice how nobody will:

1: Touch you.
2: Try to see if you're okay.
3: Attempt to steal anything from you.

In fact, this is one sure way to make a crowd of people part like the Red Sea.

The cops might wake you up to get you home, but they have to find you first.

 

Hahahaha, that one is so true !! Not only in Coco Ichiban but almost anywhere. Why the insist on putting the plate right in front of you I don't know.

Yakumo

 

Ha, I am not so sure about your point 3 GaijinPunch. A mate of mine passed out inside Shinsaibashi station Osaka, nobody bothered him, especially the thief. He woke up with the outside of his left hand pocket cut off and his wallet removed!

My little game is to out-polite someone. You can kick off with excessive keigo or perhaps starting to end every sentence with De Gozaimasu or De Aru.

Stage 2 is the out-bow. When bowing to someone, about half-way up just go down again for another bow and you can bet that most older Japanese people will follow you out of habit.

Stage 3 is to out - suuuuuu them. Drag the gozaimasuuuuuuuuuuuuu as long as possible. There was a guy in the gaijin office at the uni I studied at who insisted on being the last person suuu-ing, I always felt too much of an idiot to ever beat him - I'm sure he was doing it for giggles as well.

I should say that all the above will make you look a total fool, but I generally feel the need to do so when someone is sooo polite it is just silly. It was really annoying when I did not know much keigo and I could not understand a damn word being said out of over-politeness, I just felt like saying - 畏まる必要はないぞ！

 

Haha, very very funny. It seems Japanese people are brought up to be such creatures of habit that any alteration is like a black hole in their worldview.

In Japan, they always always add ice cubes to a soda float. (Is that normal in other countries????) I hate this as the ice cream can't mix well with the soda. And I usually remember that they do this _after_ I have ordered my float. Dammit.

Anyway, one time at a yakiniku restaurant I remembered, and I asked the waitress to give me a soda float, but with no ice cubes. She was puzzled and after consulting with another staff member, and with me, we agreed that such a thing was possible. But she seemed completely put out by the request. ...

 

Fuck. Go to a ramen restaurant and ask for one with "no meat". Better yet, another game for confusion.

Go to McDonalds
Order French Fries
Ask for BBQ Sauce, but no Ketchup.

 

I even offerd 1,000 yen to sweeten the deal for McD's. Denied.

This one's pretty nasty....but it works well in one of those bitter moments.

When you walk into a used store (game shops are prefect), make a mental note of an item in the glass case that you need. Then go up to the counter and ask if they have that item in stock. When he says no, take him to the glass case and tell him that you want that item, which is the one you just asked for. The key is to pretend that he didn't just tell you it wasn't in stock, making it seem like you're settling for a substitute item.

 

I've done that oncde before. I ended up being told the item in the glass case wasn't for sale even though it had a price sticker on it.

Yakumo

 

hahaha very good! now i'm tempted to try that :dance:

 

I`ve got that T-Shirt :nod: