Getaway star Catriona Rowntree stopped with ‘odd’ request in Japan

Getaway host Catriona Rowntree was stunned after being stopped in the street in Japan with an unusual request from a local. 

The 52-year-old television presenter was shooting in Kanazawa City when she was asked not to film anyone walking around and eating.

‘This is the first time I’ve ever been asked this… and I understand why. Whilst I may have eaten some sushi (that was so delicious) from a vending machine, we ate immediately and took our rubbish with us,’ Catriona revealed on Instagram.

Walking and eating is common for Aussies, Americans and the English, but is far less common in other countries.

Japanese norms discourage people from walking and eating to prevent them discarding rubbish on the street. It is also considered impolite.

Catriona explained, ‘We were “responsible for our own rubbish” and for the Japanese, they learn this concept as soon as they start kindergarten. Children have to clean their own classrooms and that included the loos!

‘Locals do not eat in the street, only tourists have takeaway coffees (of course there are exceptions but we never saw a single local doing this) and the idea that showing people eating in the streets will encourage rubbish is a concept I can understand.’

Hundreds of Australians expressed their awe at the discipline.

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‘Such a great philosophy to live by,’ a man said. ‘I wish Australia could adopt some of their customs.’

‘We found no seating in the food courts in Shinjuku. After chatting with locals the expectation was you take food to the park to eat and relax, then take rubbish home. We did that and it was so beautiful to watch everyone interact, fly kites, and play,’ another traveller added.

A Japanese teacher shared her experience with Aussie students. 

‘I have taken many Australian students to Japan on tours and we drill them about this before departure. Yes, it means sometimes we carry food when we’re starving until we find somewhere to sit,’ she said.

‘And yes, we start the day with half-empty backpacks so we have room for our rubbish – even if that includes a fish carcass because someone chose to eat a whole fish for lunch in the park.’

Tourists are encouraged to learn about the traditions and accepted behaviour in the country they are travelling to.

A Japanese store previously went viral after slamming foreign tourists for being rude to staff, littering and poor public etiquette. 

An American traveller came across a large sign in Tokyo that berated tourists for having ‘bad manners’ and ‘violating’ the rules of the convenience store.

The list was posted next to the store’s entrance.

Staff had to tidy up after tourists that littered inside the store, and put items back on the shelves in the wrong place, and angered by those who opened products before purchasing them.

Tourists would also unreasonably expect staff to speak English.