Don’t we have to buy a box of tissues?

When I was writing the previous article about “dou-zo,” I wanted to share this with you. 

If you live in a city in Japan, you will not have to buy tissue paper often. That’s because we are given.

 
To explain this, I’m going to describe “one morning of a weekday.”
Let’s say I get through several train stations to reach my office.
 
First, I arrive at the closest station by bus. Then, there are usually a couple of young people in front of the station. Saying “dou-zo (pronunciation: dough-zo[ne]),” they are giving me a pocket-size tissue package.
 

Do you remember the meaning “dou-zo”? Yes, it is “this is for you,” so I receive it. I usually don’t even say, “thank you.” Maybe we should, but nobody says.

 The reason why we don’t say anything is that a tissue package is an advertisement. A variety of advertisements are printed on the plastic exterior, or sometimes, there is a small sheet of paper with an advertisement in the package.
 
So, we can get free tissues on the street. Usually, people don’t want to receive any advertisements on the street, but if they are free tissues, yes, we will!
 
The young people offering tissues are part-time workers and keep handing out tissues to commuters. They receive tissues without a word because we walk very fast in the morning, and by the time we receive it, we already have passed in front of them. It is like passing a relay baton.
 
Then, I get on a train and after 3 stations, have to change trains. I get out of the train station, see another person who is giving tissues again, and receive one. After 50-meter walking, I reach the subway station and put my electric train pass on an automatic ticket gate.
 
After 5 stations, I finally arrive at the station to get off. Then, I go up stairs. Again, there are two ladies who are giving me a tissue package.  Of course, I get it.
 
O.K.  Now is the time to do math. How many pocket-sized tissue packages do I receive during morning commute?
 
Yes. 4 packages! Imagine that you do this 5 times a week. Even though you have an unlucky day that you cannot receive any, you still have enough to use up.
 
Sometimes, I stop by more stations for shopping on the way back. Then, I get more. That’s why I think we don’t have to buy tissues if we live in a city. I always collect them to save money.
 
I’ve been to 14 countries so far, but I have never seen free tissues with an advertisement on the street outside Japan. Hhmmm.. Is this only in Japan?  I really wonder.
 
If you see somewhere, please let me know.
 
Today, you need to review this word “dou-zo (dough zo[ne]),” meaning “this is for you.”
 
Thanks for reading!

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