Hello everyone. I want to share the results of an interesting experiment. The experiment's theme was, "How often do people apologize when bumped into on the street?" It was conducted in tourist areas in London and Oxford, UK, targeting tourists of various nationalities, including Americans, Germans, Japanese, Spaniards, Australians, and Scandinavians.
Results for Japanese participants:
In the experiment, many people from different countries apologized when intentionally bumped into by the experimenter. However, the results for the Japanese were surprising. Even when the experimenter tried to bump into them on purpose, Japanese participants quickly sensed the movement and evaded it. This evasion was so remarkable that the experiment often faced delays.
As a joke, based on these results, it was concluded that "Every Japanese person is a NINJA." Historically in Japan, there were individuals known as ninjas with unique skills. This experiment led to a humorous suggestion that the DNA of Japanese people might carry the NINJA lineage.
Why do Japanese people have the ability to dodge?
From my perspective as a Japanese person, those who live in urban areas and experience the daily rush hour, or those who frequently visit crowded towns, are used to constantly avoiding people when walking. Hence, they seem to possess a heightened ability to anticipate and dodge. Navigating through extremely crowded streets or train stations can feel like playing a game of dodging obstacles. For me personally, when I'm in crowded places, I unconsciously observe the movements of those around me and walk in a way that avoids collisions. I believe that Japanese people have a strong sense of respecting others, and therefore, always take the initiative to dodge so as not to obstruct another's path.
Are all Japanese people NINJAs?
Of course, in modern-day Japan, NINJAs do not exist. However, if we're talking about people with exceptional evasion skills similar to those of a NINJA, many living in urban areas might possess such abilities. Those living in the serene countryside, without the hustle and bustle, probably do not have the need to dodge people regularly. Therefore, it's likely that their evasion and prediction skills aren't as developed. Hence, it's not accurate to say that all Japanese are NINJAs. There are many who dislike the crowdedness of cities, and when walking in the city, they may find it challenging to walk straight without bumping into others or navigating through the crowd, which can be frustrating.
The dodge battle between NINJAs
Interestingly, sometimes on narrow paths when two people try to pass each other, they both dodge in the same direction, almost colliding, and then dodge again in the same direction to avoid the collision. This can happen about three times in a row. In the end, they both look somewhat embarrassed, and one yields the path to the other. 😄
If you ever visit Japan, please pay attention to these NINJA-like movements of the Japanese people. You might discover something new and interesting.
