"NO!" No Pants Subway Ride Tokyo

今日は「IMPROV EVERYWHERE」企画の「Global No Pants Subway Ride」が日本の東京でも実行される日だった、、、、はず。

現在、偶然にも大塚滞在中の友達のフィンランド人誘って、参加する予定だったのよ。

で、時間あったから、飯でも喰ってブラっとして、大塚駅行くと、改札の外にお巡りさん数名。

中にも、トイレ前に１名確認。

「こりゃ、警戒してんだな」って思ったから、とりあえず駅の中に入って、ホームの様子を見てみることに。

…

お巡り多数確認。

絶対NPSR（No Pants Subway Ride）の警戒だなって分かった。

とりあえず、制服お巡りたくさんいるけど、実行される予定の車両がくるホームに行ってみる。

で、電車を待ってると、おっさんが２人、その友達に声を掛ける。

「Where are you from? What are you going to do?」

その手には警視庁バッジが。

私服お巡りです。

そこでおれが、「今から恵比寿に観光に行くんです。何かあるんですか？」

「じゃ、いいよ」

で、解放。

私服までいるなら、こりゃヤバいなと思った。

で、他の駅に先回りしてみることに。

池袋駅到着。

窓の外からも大勢の制服お巡りが確認できた。

参加者と思しき外国人もチラホラ。

ここ、もっとヤバいな。

池袋スルー。

で、目白到着。

制服お巡り確認できず。

下車。

何人か参加者か見物か分からない外国人確認。

ホームの最後尾まで行ってみる。

しかめっ面のおっさん２名がいる。

目配せの仕方からして、私服だなって分かった。

ヤバいね。

だから、もう予定の列車をそこで待つ。

電車が来た。

車両には日本人、外国人含め、他の電車より多めの人が。

もちろん、誰もズボンを下ろしていない。

で、入り口には制服警官。中にも数名。私服も多数と思われる。

で、さっきのしかめっ面おじさんが、制服に「異常はないなっ」

って、声かける。

やっぱり、私服だったか。

そんなこんなで、NPSRは断念。

ビデオカメラがあれば、強行も出来たはずだけど、ないと「転び公妨」とかありえるし。

考えすぎ？

流石にお巡り多すぎだし。

結局、行き先をかっぱ橋にして観光することにしました。



えーっと、なんなんですかね？
上の服着てるし下も下着着用は「公然わいせつ罪」にならないハズ。
何の容疑がかかって、こんだけお巡りがいるのかと。
「無許可デモ」とみなされてるってこと？
参加者の大半が外国人だったから「おれの国ではやらせない」みたいな？
あ、それとも、暇なのね、日曜日の都心のお巡りさんって。
もしかしたら、お巡りさんも見たかった！？とか？
のほほんｗ
なわけないか。
じゃぁ、「東京都迷惑防止条例」なのか？

一般の人達を巻き込むこの企画。
だからいいんだけど、賛否両論はあると思う。
こういうのが迷惑って人もいるだろうし。
でもだよ、こういうのを「おもしろい」って思わずネガティブな意味で「異常」って思う人がいるから効果があるんだと思う。
色んな人が言っているように、「普通とは違う」「変」って思うことが、すでに「異常」で、「普通」に慣れさせられて「異常」って思わされてるだけかもしれない。
これに代表されるフラッシュ・モブってよりキャッチーな形でそういうのに気づくチャンスだと思うんだよね。
でも、過激ともとられかねない、「NO PANTS」は日本では早すぎたのかな。
「常識」的な「出来た」大人が多いのね、この国には。
楽しさ優先じゃダメですか？
留学中、今よりもまだまだだったバグパイプを道路で、公園で、図書館で、宅配ピザ屋で、レストランで、勝手に吹き荒らした日々が少し懐かしい。

フラッシュ・モブやそれに準ずる活動を日本でする意味と課題が少し見えたよ。






Today was the day which "Global No Pants Subway Ride" by "Improv Everywhere" was going to be held in here, Tokyo, Japan, as well...

I was going to attend this super exciting event with my finnish friend who happened to come here right on time in Otsuka which is the place where this event starts.

When we get there, we had extra time to spend, so we ate lunch and hung out in a little while. Then we went to Otsuka station, but there are some cops in my sight in front of the ticket gate.

There was another one in side of the gate, in front of the restroom.

I thought "they must be aware of this event," so we decided to get inside and check out how thing is going on the platform where the train we ride will come.

...

We found MANY cops on the platform.

At this time, we had no doubt that they were aware of this event.

Though there were so many cops in uniforms, we decided to wait close to the place which the car we were supposed to ride would come.

Two middle aged guys suddenly approached my friend.

And they asked him "Where are you from? What are you going to do?"

There were police ID cards on their hands.

Now, you know, they are cops in plain clothes.

I said "We are going to Ebisu for sightseeing. What is going on?" to them.

And they said "it's ok then."

Then we were released.

I thought "it's not good because even plain-clothed cops are here."

So we decided to check other stations.

We arrived at Ikebukuro staion.

We could see a lot of cops in uniforms even inside of the car.

We also noticed some foreign visitors who looked like this event's participants.

"This place is not good at all."

We didn't get off at this station.

Now we arrived at Mejiro station.

We saw no uniformed cops.

We got off from the train.

I found some foreign visitors whom I can't tell they were participants or people who just came here to see this event.

We walked to the tip of the platform.

There we saw two frown-faced middle-aged men.

I was pretty sure they are plain-clothed ones from how they looked around.

"Man, it's not good AT ALL."

So we decided to wait the train here without no pants.

The train came.

In side of the car, there were many people rather than other trains including both Japanese and non-Japanese people.

Of course, NO ONE was in no pants situation.

There is a uniformed cop is standing in front of the door. I guess there were many plain-clothed ones in the car also.

Then, one of the frown-faced mid-aged men asked the uniform "Everything is alright?"

There you go! I knew you were plain-clothed!!

Because of all these, I and my friend didn't do the no pants.

If we were videotaping, we could do it, but otherwise they can arrest with "Korobi Kobo (it means a cop trip in front of the person whom they want to arrest, and the cop can arrest the one because the cop can say the one trip him/her" or something.

Am I thinking too much?

Too many cops anyway.

We decided to go Kappa-bashi for sightseeing after all.



well, what is going on?
People who wear under wear can't be arrested. Even putting on upper clothes.
What all the so many cops were suspecting?
They took this as no permission demonstration?
They thought "No body can do this kind of thin in MY country" because many participants were foreigners?
Or, cops in capital city have so many time to spare on sundays?
Or, maybe they wanted see this event!?
How peaceful! lol
I know, it's not like that.
Then they came for "Tokyo Public Peace Ordinance"?

This event involves people who just be there without knowing anything.
That's why it's so good and cool but I understand some people hate this or feel annoyed.
BUT it has effective power because some people think it's "unusual" in negative sense, not "interesting".
Maybe, like many people say, when you think "unusual" or "weird," you are the one who is "abnormal." Maybe you are so gotten used to "normal", and you are just thought those things as "abnormal."
Flash mobs like this event is great opportunity to notice that kind of things in more catchy way.
Maybe it was early to do "no pants" in Japan because some people would take this as radical.
I guess many adults in this country have "common senses" and are "well educated."
Having fun cannot be number one priority?
I miss the days when I played the bagpipe (at that time my piping skill was way worse than now) on roads, at parks, at restaurants, at domino's, even at library, during my one year stay in the States.

I think I see some meanings and problems to do flash mobs or such kind of things in Japan.