How Much is Exactly Too Much Reclining?

Monday, 10 Apr, 2017

Morning news in Japan did a piece on “how much is too much reclining” in trains and planes.

The result was, most people in Japan felt that 40.4 cm (15.90551 in) was the max they wanted someone in front of them to recline. In typical Japan News fashion, they measured distances and angles, and got a cute little girl to say when she felt uncomfortable when the man in front reclined.

This sort of detail is typical in Japan, and it’s something my western friends and I find rather humorous. For example, they go into incessant detail about wind speed and hectopascals of barometric pressure. I, for one, expect my news broadcast numbers to be reported with six decimals of precision. :-p

Of course the Japanese themselves are aware of this tendency, and have done some excellent comedy taking the piss regarding it. Here’s a couple funny examples:

• The Japanese Tradition, Tea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xe0idflAic4
• The Japanese Tradition, Dogeza Apology: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bG6oT5kYI0Y
• The Japanese Tradition, Onigiri Rice Balls: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeaN4pJeIfk

I promise, those are comedy, and not meant to be taken seriously, despite the assertions from the “experts” in the comments section. (God save us).