It appears to be similar in Taiwan, where I've visited for business twice now. There are rarely ever signalled cross walks. As a pedestrian you just have to gauge the best time to step into the street, and after that both the cars and people do their best to avoid collision. As an American I think it's crazy and dangerous, but given the population density here, there might not be a better option. On the bright side, most vehicles here are scooters, so they can swerve in and out of the pedestrian hordes with ease. And it seems to keep both the pedestrians and drivers aware of their surroundings at all times. Which is in stark contrast to the common, oblivious moron drivers in the U.S.