I agree that this story depicts one of the beautiful aspects of human nature. It also sheds light on what has been lost in the process of modernization.

However, when I actually try to imagine myself living in that society, I don’t feel like I could survive in it. I guess it’s a typical Japanese response.

Reading the comments made me realize a couple of things.

1. When I said it sounded “exhausting,” I wasn’t really talking about the physical work of moving the sofa. I meant the effort of maintaining the relationships behind it. In many cases, the pizza isn’t really the reward. From a Japanese perspective, sharing a meal with someone can actually feel like the more demanding part unless you’re very close. Sometimes, even with close friends, it can feel like a bit of an obligation.

2. I think we have a different idea of what “neighbors” and “friends” mean. For many people in Japan today, neighbors are essentially strangers. There are probably still rural communities where neighbors help each other, but that’s much less common in cities. As for friends, we generally don’t rely on them for everyday necessities. Of course we’re happy to help our friends when they need it, but friendship itself isn’t expected to function as part of the infrastructure of daily life. We don’t stay friends because we need each other. We stay friends because we enjoy each other’s company.

We pay professionals to move it. It cost about 50$ - 100$.

That’s true. Japanese residential streets really are that narrow, if not narrower. You could argue that’s why parking enforcement is necessary, but if the police ticketed every car that stopped briefly to load or unload furniture, nothing would get done. Long-term parking is another matter, but a temporary stop like that usually isn’t something people worry about getting fined for in Japan.

It feels like something that has been lost in today’s society, and unfortunately, it seems difficult to regain it at this point. I don’t know where this difference came from.

Your comment resonates with me.

That’s interesting. I always thought Europe was more relaxed about things like that. In Japan, at least, you’re generally allowed to stop temporarily while loading or unloading furniture, so this surprised me.

As a Japanese person, my first reaction was, “That sounds exhausting.” I’m genuinely curious, though. Is this something most Americans enjoy, or is it one of those social expectations that not everyone is actually comfortable with?

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