If life was a construction site, Japan's "obaachans" would be the steamrollers. These old ladies have the ability and authority to conquer anything in their paths.
Anyone who has ever been cut off by an obaachan running for an empty seat on the train knows what I'm talking about. You can spot these "obattalion" (a loanword from the zombie movie "Battalion") as they wait on the platform for the doors to open: the head drops, the elbows flare, the doors open, and they plow forward.
But you have to admire their will and determination. They're tough and don't give up easily. In a disaster, they would the ones pulling you out of the rubble.
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