In Japan, silence is the best policy. It's like Japan is enveloped in a quiet hush and muffled atmosphere. It is not surprising then that one of the policies when renting an apartment is not to make disturbing noises. Once neighbors complain about your noises, the apartment owner has the right to expel you. This sounds fair enough on the surface. The problem is, the Leo Palace Apartments (one of the largest rental apartments company in Japan) has paper-thin walls.
 |
| facade of Leo Palace Apartments photo credit: http://www.accessj.com/2011/12/living-in-leopalace-apartment.html |
In my Leo Palace Apartment, I can hear my neighbors':
- chatting every night just before they sleep
- washing machine on Friday mornings
- flushing of the toilet bowl
- showers in the early evening
- early morning noises and late-evening "couple" noises
- visitors almost every weekend
- arrival on the wee hours every Saturday morning
Obviously, I have memorized their routine just by hearing their noises. I don't listen to them intentionally. With the thin walls, it's not hard not to hear. I don't complain about their noises since I know they are not intentionally making noises. They are just trying to live and the noises that they make are part of that.
Then a notice from Leo Palace was popped in my mailbox a few weeks ago. It was in Japanese so I asked a friend to translate it for me. The notice was a reminder to be quiet at night because there were several complaints. All tenants received that notice so I didn't feel bad but what struck me is how intolerant some people are.
I've been living in my place for 7 months already and every night is dead quiet. I cannot hear anything except my neighbors. And the noises that they make are understandable. I'm pretty sure that they can also hear me flush, shower, cook, talk and wash. But apart from noises of a normal human being, there was no disturbing noise in the building. I checked with two other tenants who live in different floors if there are too loud noises. They said they don't hear anything disturbing. Perhaps those who complained have sonar ears or live their lives "eavesdropping," literally.
I also remembered another tenant who is a single mother that I befriended left the apartment building. She has a 2 year old baby. They live in the first floor at the cornermost portion. She has no immediate neighbor. The apartment beside her is empty but she still got complaints of her baby's cries. She had to go. I have heard her baby cry but it was just so seldom. It wasn't an everyday concert.
Another friend who lived in another Leo Palace Apartment got a kick on her door when she invited a few people in her place. She seldom hosts a party and it wasn't even in full blast- just chattering. In the midst of their talking, a loud thump was heard from her door. A shoe mark explained what happened.
Then there's a story of a couple who lived in the Leo Palace Apartment building just behind mine's decided to transfer. One of their neighbors talked to them twice regarding their babies noise. The neighbor wasn't even next to them.
So essentially, I think some of Japanese here need to realize that noise is part of living. I would be more scared if I know I have neighbors then I don't hear anything. Also, it's so obvious that Leo Palace's walls cannot contain noise. No matter how quiet you are, the materials used in these apartments are not solid enough and sound-proof. So for those who are too sound-sensitive, they should be the ones who leave. They don't have the right to stop other people from living.
