I have been to Japan recently and on both times I’ve visited a cafe, the person beside me has their watch removed and set on the desk in front of them. Then they’d just wear it again when it’s time to go.
Just curious if this is a normal watch person thing or a japanese thing? Because I have been to cafes in the Philippines, Singapore and Australia and I have yet to notice this kind of behavior when I was there.
thanks for the insights!
7 comments
I do that if it’s hot out, and I’m a bit sweaty, as wrists are prone to swell a bit with the moisture, making the watch uncomfortable to wear.
Sometimes people take it off when sitting down as it scrapes against the desktop which can be a bit annoying. I don’t think it’s a particularly Japanese thing though.
Another reason is taking it off and setting it right in front of them makes it easier to see the time and not forget it because of out of sight out of mind.
I never did it myself before coming to Japan, but after watching people do it here I started doing the same. It’s a great way to keep track of time and make sure you don’t stay at the cafe longer than you intended.
I do it if I’m working on the computer (both at home and when I go out), because the wristband touches the computer’s frame or (depending on the position) the border of the table, and that’s uncomfortable when typing. No other reason.
~time traveler~
時間旅行者
じかんりょこうしゃ
2 things:
It’s more comfortable to remove it sometimes, especially when typing on a laptop.
People feel safe from random theft in Japan.
People may not feel as safe in other places, I assume.
I noticed that when big exams or tests happen usually they limit how much stuff people can bring inside the test room. Everyone brings a watch and sets it on the desk because you can monitor how much time you have left for each section without having to move your arm
or make noise that could get you in trouble. I think that habit might come from that. I experienced it during the JLPT test in Japan.