Daytime and Night in Japan (Lin Te Kuan)

For foreigners, Japan is a strange country in many ways. One thing I found really
special and cool is the different appearance of Japan in Daytimes and night. Like the
characters of Japanese, daytime and night have two complete different features that
shocked me at first but interesting to me now.
Daytime, is the traditional Japan that everyone can imagine. First, totally on time

subways, unless there is an accident or else the subways come not even a second late.
Second is that a lot of people walking in the same direction at working time. This is a
special scene for foreigners! I remember anyone who had came to Japan, always
remembered to remind others to see Japanese walking when it is time to work.
Because the scene is too spectacular that so many people all wearing in black and neat
suites, walking in almost same pace, without any noise and same direction: subway.
Third is that everyone is polite. At daytime, Japanese are all polite and remember to
bow. Fourth is that the subway is crowded but ordered and quiet. Japanese subway is
also an important scene for foreigners. I believe no other countries can get so many
people in a carriage because no one can be as tolerable as Japanese. And though the
carriages are filled with people, still quiet and have discipline. So daytime in Japan is
just the traditional images that all foreigners can have for Japan.
When the night comes, Japan is completely different.
Night, in my point of view, is the liberating time for Japanese. At night, the
ordered and disciplines are gone (not 100% but 50% maybe). This is all because of
one thing: alcohol. Japanese tend to drink at night. Because of that, everything in
daytime seems a little bit changed. First, people walk on the roads staggering and talk
in high volume. This is sometime I can never see at daytime. Second, the subways are
still crowded but full of the smell of liqueur and some people talk really loud (and in a
way that everyone knows they are drunk). Third, some people would sit or squat on
the streets. For some unknown reasons, these people tend to shout some words out
loud as if they have been so constrained and depressed at daytime and now they can
finally be themselves. At first I was too shocked and really afraid. But as I live in
Japan for a longer time, I realize that even though Japanese are different from
daytime, it is still safe. Then I started to not afraid of going out at night and observe
these interesting differences between daytimes and nights.
Traveling and living in a country is two absolutely different things. Living in
Japan can find out more about this country that people who only travel can never see.
For this example, is something cool I have never heard from travelers but something I
found after living in Japan!