William M. Chase used to tell this story:
I was standing on a railway platform in Japan, waiting for a train, and whiling away my time by watching a particularly beautiful sunset.
Suddenly a freight train pulled in and, stopping in front of me, cut off my view. Being a good American, and trained in a very proper respect for 'business,' I merely turned philosophically away and proceeded to look at something else. In a moment, however, the station master appeared at my side and inquired with the politest of bows if I had been enjoying the sunset.
I admitted that I had, and smilingly accepted his apology for the intrusion of the train. 'Of course I recognized that trains were the first consideration in stations,' I said.
Imagine my surprise, then, when the little Japanese shook his head firmly. 'But no,' he said, bowing even more deeply than before, 'the train must not be allowed to obstruct the honorable artistic traveler's honorable �sthetic enjoyment'�or words to that effect. 'I will cause it to withdraw,'
And he actually did precisely that!