"That Look"

I just saw one of the most amazing acts of social grace and passive conflict resolution which I have ever seen in my entire life.

I just got home, off my train, after Thursday; which is my main day of full classes. It means though I am also with the 5 O'clock rush of people heading home to Saitama from Tokyo proper. Asakadai, my station, is at a joining of two rail-lines and naturally gets a fair amount of traffic especially at this hour. The station is usually a bustle of people who weave elegantly/haphazardly amongst one another but ultimately independent in most cases.
That's why when I heard the sound of two men yelling right next to me it caught my attention.  That or it was just the yelling and finger pointing.

My first thought it was a police confrontation as one of the men was inebriated.  But he was old, and I've seen the police with far younger and drunker men doing much nicer things.  (That and the fact the other man wasn't wearing a police uniform helps that conclusion.)  It was about then that I realized what this was.

It was a fight.

In public.

This doesn't happen, at least, I had yet to see it happen in Japan.  It isn't a social norm, you keep things down or in private; never on the street, never in the station, no matter how drunk you are, or how much you hate the other guy.  Everybody knows this.  Everyone.  It's just how things are.  It's part of the unified social culture.  No fists had flown, but voices were raised and fingers were brandished.  It was a fight.  Someone had said or done something and it had come to this point, whatever it would be.

It was then that I saw it happen.  Two young men, one still in his high-school uniform (but with the collar loose and his book bag over his shoulder, who just happened to be passing by looked to one another and gave each other the look. The look I could only describe as "that look".  The knowledgeable one of what needed to be done.  The look Mr. Smith and Mr. Ross would give each other back in the hallways of my high school before they needed to step in to break up a cat fight.

Since they were already standing next to the two quarreling men, the uniformed one simply turned and kindly stepped between them with his hands apologetically in front of him.  With a smile one would use when dad and grandpa got arguing about the state of the economy again he simply said a few quick words.  Only when both men began to push on him did his hands raise up to apply space.  That done his other friend stepped in and they each picked a man, just standing in the way with a smile.  Both old men tried to point fingers and reach around the newcomers but were easily deflected.  In short order space between them grew and the last words were spat between them.

Seeing that these two young men had intervened the one brushed the other's comments off and turned away, taking a few steps away backwards.  The young man who had blocked him kept with him, saying some quick things.  The other in the uniform stayed with his old man and asked if he was okay.  The old man gave a muffled response before he was asked again, to which this time he responded with a disgruntled equivalent of a child's; "Yeah..."

The young men stepped back, leaving both old men in the open again the two looked at one another, and wondered off.  After believing the situation resolved the two young men nodded and said some quick things to one another and continued on to their train.

Around, there were only a few of us that had taken notice.  I wonder if I was the only one who actually stopped.  A) to watch whatever was going to happen B) to see if I should do something.

I didn't know when the yelling started what was going to happen.  Was this like New York or some other place where there will be a full out fight and no one but the Train workers run over; the audience excited by the impromptu show?  Would no one take notice, try to ignore it like the homeless on the street or the Kalgaru in Shibuya?  Sure, I was also including the option of outside interference to break it up.  Granted that was mostly considering myself into the scenario but I'm glad I hesitated due to my cultural curiosity and fear of mishandling the situation.

No matter what though, I wasn't expecting it to be so effectively resolved.  I'm sure social pressures came into mind.  "These two young men showed up, I'm making a fool of myself I should shut up."  But it was that it was... so passive a response.

Just standing in the way, "Are you okay? Relax. Calm down," smiles.  By two strangers who treated these folks like they were grandpa and dad.  Only because they were the two closest.  Then went happily on their way when finished.

And it worked, and the wheel never stopped turning.

It makes sense.  In Japan it makes complete sense.  Thinking back, I would be expecting this or something like this to happen.  I just am in shock seeing it.  It was amazing.

I wanted to share.


Post Script:  I'll talk about my computer tomorrow, this was more interesting.