Question about Japanese customs

Do you know why

not a clue	10.0%	[ 1 ]
possibly	30.0%	[ 3 ]
I do know and I will post the answer	60.0%	[ 6 ]
Total Votes:			[ 10 ]

[Hay-Chan]

I was walking around town with my new friend from tokyo. Every once and awhile we had to go single file on the sidewalk and I noticed something interesting. When I would walk on the side closer to the street he would kind of move me to where he was walking and take my place. This happened about 10 times on our walk. Is there a reason behind this...? I'm a girl he's a boy if that's it...?

If the story didn't make sense than here is a diagram:

Key: [:]=street, M=me, H=Him, ^=houses

[:] M H ^

[:] M<>H ^

[:] H M ^

[Hay-Chan]

no one knows I'm guessing....?

[That Sexual Guy]

Could be a polite thing to do? Protecting the fairer sex from hazardous cars?

[Hay-Chan]

awwww that's a sweet thing to do. heart heart heart heart heart

[That Sexual Guy]

Lol thats just a guess.

[Hay-Chan]

still I like. If it happens again I'll ask and find out, but I could see that as the answer.would there be another reason...? hmmmm..... interesting to ponder.

[PAnZuRiEL]

I'd go with protecting you from cars. Or if it's been raining, protecting you from getting splashed by cars driving through puddles.

[NightwindTheMystic]

That's actually pretty universal and not particularly Japanese. I actually read of the same custom in a book of Victorian manners. It is generally a man shielding a woman from the road for all the reasons stated above, protection from cars, puddles, uneven pavement at the curb, etc.

I've had guys do that for me as well, and I tend to do this as well when walking with children.

[That Sexual Guy]

So there we go o:

[Zyxt]

I agree, he's probably walking on the "dangerous" side to protect you. My boyfriend does that too, and he says that's why. He's also Japanese, but I agree too that it's not just a Japanese thing.

[An Unknown Kunoichi]

Yeah, I have a Japanese guy friend who lives near me, and as we were walking home from school together, he did the exact same thing. xP

[TheAzreal]

I agree that I do the same thing for children, but perhaps he just doesn't want to be seen as "parading you down the street?" xD Maybe he likes to feel like he's protecting you from other people being able to see you from their cars, or maybe he just feels protective about you in general.

[Akuleon]

He likes you and wants to protect you.

[An Unknown Kunoichi]

Akuleon

He likes you and wants to protect you.

Perhaps he does, but it is more about politeness, and their manner, than anything to do with 'like'.