The countryside in Japan has a reputation for being backwards. This is partly true. In the countryside where I live we walk backwards, we drive backwards and sometimes we even do our laundry backwards — by drying it out first, then washing it.
This is unlike the big cities, such as Tokyo. As you know, Tokyo has wards. I've just never been able to figure out if they are back-wards or for-wards?
Backwards is a good direction. If it weren't, they wouldn't offer the reverse function in cars. After all, at times it is necessary for everyone to go backwards.