"bum camping" in japan

[traycerb]

heh, wasn't sure whether to post this in the accommodations section O_o but these fine gaijin managed to roll their own lodging(literally even) on a recent visit. In their words:

My cousin Donna and I went "bum camping" in Japan with two folding bikes.
Bum camping means plunking your bum down pretty much anywhere and calling it a night.
Japan has less crime than we're used to and a tolerant attitude toward homeless people.
Their little blue tents are tucked here and there in parks and under bridges.

Some pics:




They got griefed a bit by the j-cops and their strategy was to talk English until the cops gave up, which, despite their explanation (below) probably worked b/c there was at least a girl in the pair (i suspect not so much a plan with all guys or people of more "suspicious" ethnic backgrounds):

Our Survival-Evasion-Escape instincts kicked in. We spoke to them in English.
This paralyzed them for two reasons:
1: They were too embarrassed to attempt their English in front of co-workers.
2: Not knowing where each stood in Sempai order for English, it was impossible for any of them to take the lead. (Sempai is seniority in a mentorship structure. Two people can shift in and out of Sempai role as they engage in various activities depending on who has attained highest rank in the specific activity.)

poll: do you think they got lucky or is this whole thing reproducible??

[Visitor K]

easy. i used to see all sorts of drunken salarymen 'bum camping' in the streets.
if you search on the internet you can find people that made tents out of car covers, which might work even better if you were planning on reproducing this.
..but of course then youd have to find a parking spot..

[Neo-Rio]

Our Survival-Evasion-Escape instincts kicked in. We spoke to them in English.
This paralyzed them for two reasons:
1: They were too embarrassed to attempt their English in front of co-workers.
2: Not knowing where each stood in Sempai order for English, it was impossible for any of them to take the lead. (Sempai is seniority in a mentorship structure. Two people can shift in and out of Sempai role as they engage in various activities depending on who has attained highest rank in the specific activity.)

Yes, it's really unfortunate that in Japan, blaring at people in English accomplishes more than bothering to learn the local language.
Go figure.

[cenic]

Yes, it's really unfortunate that in Japan, blaring at people in English accomplishes more than bothering to learn the local language.
Go figure.

Because having the j-police tell you that they don't understand you despite the fact you are speaking Japanese is even more fulfilling.

[Neo-Rio]

I like how the people here actually listen carefully to you if you talk at them in English.

They don't listen if you speak in Japanese - which is why they don't understand any Japanese-speaking foreigner.

[CrankyBastard]

Yep, the 'talking dog' syndrome!