NewYorkCraze Abroad – Tokyo Pt. 1
By Tony Sham
A Tale of Two Subways
July 30, 2026 So, I'm sitting on a subway car in Tokyo wondering, how come New York City can't have nice things?
It's not that our city ain't nice. At least it is for some people, in some parts, but you're not exactly dying to barehand the nearest pole on a lurching six train, are you?
I'm not saying I'm eating sushi off the floors here either, there's just a sense of care, of responsibility, that the people of Tokyo seem to have for their city that I don't sense all New Yorkers have no more and I'm from there. My grandmother was from there. She died in New York, and so will I probably, (so long as nothing too crazy happens to me before I make it back) but I've been solo traveling for a while now, so I'm just going to call it like I see it.
The Reality on the Streets
Let's talk about the bums for a second. I know homelessness is a serious issue and if you've ever had someone in your life or your family who's turned out homeless (I think a few people are using the term "unhoused" now, but they're almost all from California so who gives a shit) you know it's no cake walk and you have my sympathies.
That being said, the official Tokyo metropolis, which ain't even the entire metropolitan area, holds over 14 million people and I didn't see one motherfucker with their pants down in the street, subway, or the subway platform, the entire 2 weeks I was there. Not one masturbating lunatic. Can you believe it?
Trash as an Aesthetic vs. Basic Pride
Now onto the litter. When I think of Manhattan, I think of films like After Hours, in which gusts of wind fling old newspapers down Soho alleyways. Trash has become our aesthetic. In Tokyo, an enviable standard of cleanliness is recognizable everywhere, right now to the cigarette butts I was informed I'd be fined if I tossed to the curb.
Enforcement, Pocket Ashtrays, and Personal Habits
I'm not a staunch supporter of an overzealous government by any stretch of the imagination, but if the citizens agree that the best way to curtail littering is to enforce consequences, and that makes for a prettier city that everyone can enjoy, is a fine like that really such a bad thing? You better believe I grabbed a ninety-nine-cent pocket ashtray and put my bogies in that when I was done smoking them.
Believe it or not, I make a point not to litter now, no matter what country I'm in.
What Tokyo Taught Me
Living more conscientiously feels better. I've got a deeper sense of self respect, and that's what I learned from traveling through Tokyo.
The city exudes mindfulness. There's a feeling you get when you see the people walk by, whether they're strutting it in wacky fits, heels on, violet contacts in their eyes, or they're dressed in cookie cutter business suits, that this is their city. As a foreign observer, I felt there was a sense of respect that everyone held for each other. No pushing. No screaming. No spitting on the street.
I'm not saying we shouldn't express ourselves all right - relax.
