Crowding and Behavior in Japanese Public Spaces: Some Observations and Speculations

Abstract

First, the connotations in Japan of crowded situations were discussed. In the second section, some personal characteristics of those who might experience crowding, and of partners who might share a space with the former, were discussed as determinants of individual differences in the experience of crowding. In the third section, it was suggested that high collectivism, a noncontact culture, and high population density combined with a high crime rate might encourage the experience of crowding in public or semi-public spaces. In the last section, various structural or physical devices widely observed in Japan, which were assumed to be effective in inhibiting the experience of crowding or reducing crowding stress by maintaining isolation, were discussed.

Predicting handbill avoidance in Hong Kong and the UK

“…This can lead to considerable crowding, as anyone who has attended trade shows can testify. When there is such crowding, people try to limit social interaction, especially in low-contact cultures (Andersen, 1994;Iwata, 1992). People outside of a person's social group, such as a handbill distributor, tend to be rejected and kept at a distance.…”

Recreation in the Brazilian Amazon - Understanding Visitor Profile and Perceptions of Crowding

“…Rapoport argues that "[c]ulture affects both the physical environment and the responses of people to the environment" Studies from retail shopping have pointed out the influence of culture on perceptions of density and evaluations of crowded situations (Pons et al, 2006). According to Iwata (1992), the state of being crowded differs across cultures. Culture has been shown to produce different responses to high density situations.…”