Waxing philosophical on public virtue

Before coming to Tokyo, I had heard something about the high level of public virtue that exists here. My Japanese teacher (a Tokyo native) had described her initial surprise at the unwieldy chains and locks used in Philadelphia to secure bicycles against theft. In Tokyo, most people don't lock their bikes; if they do, they use a small key-lock that keeps the back wheel from turning, but would do little to hinder a determined thief.



Our little time here so far does not qualify me to speak about lower crime rates, but I can say it certainly does feel safer here. Maybe this is because I have seen very little evidence of any sort of public wrong-doing. For example, two misdemeanors easily noticeable in most U.S. cities--trash dumping and grafitti--are conspicuously absent. Even jaywalking--a Stateside term that has become synonymous with petty wrongdoing--does not happen here. Seriously, hordes of pedestrians stand and wait, not just for the green traffic light, but for the green "walk" sign. And not just at the busy, dangerous intersections, but at small intersections, with no traffic in sight. I have yet to see a Japanese jaywalker.



And yet, I think it is more than just an absence of petty crime that makes me feel secure. Tokyo adds to the equation a sense of proactive public goodness that is hard to ignore. The other day I was walking to lunch with a couple of colleagues when a pick-up truck went slowly by, a message blaring from speakers on its roof. I thought perhaps the driver was selling something, but there was nothing in the back of the truck. A political campaign? But there were no posters, no names on the truck. I asked my companions what the truck was doing. "Oh," said one, "It is giving reminder to be nice to people and do good thing...like recycling, to be good..."


For a moment I tried to picture this happening in the States. A speaker truck weaves through Manhattan at noon: "Remember, citizens, be nice to each other, and to visitors! Recycle properly! Be polite! Be good citizens!" About the only way I can picture this happening would be if it was part of a sketch on David Letterman. We Americans are too jaded, too individualistic, and would rather not be lectured on public virtue. "Politeness-man" is a comic figure.


Should American city-dwellers adopt this sense of public virtue? The potential benefits are compelling. After all, here we are in Tokyo, living in the middle of one of the largest cities on earth, walking around at night in complete safety. What if New York was like this? My guess is that we'll never know. I think it's a matter of culture; less a question of "should" than "could." Too bad, in a way...