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I am a naturalized American citizen of partial Japanese ancestry. Japanese people, especially their mentality and culture, even stand out amongst other Asian cultures. Japanese society is ingrained and indeed bound to an honor code of sorts. One which encompasses the following: saving face/ avoiding bringing shame to family and society, aversion to selfishness/ overt individualism, introspection as opposed to outward blame and demands, ability and expectation to endure hardship without complaints, resilience, and social cohesion i.e. acting for the greater good of society.
I can say without any doubt that looting/ rioting/ crimes, especially in instances like these disasters, didn't happen and will not happen. To do such things would entail such ostracism from society....you have no idea how catastrophic it would be for a Japanese person to be shunned by general society. To identify oneself as Japanese not only carries with it racial/ national inferences, but also a sense of belonging to a community. It's hard to describe to Westerners because most find the concept to be very foreign. But this is ingrained into the Japanese psyche from cradle to adulthood and beyond. That is why it is such a taboo to commit crimes against the community/ society.
Thank you for explaining. It's very fascinating. At this moment, I am simply in awe of the Japanese people. I wish that our culture would develop a little more honor and aversion to crime.
I am a naturalized American citizen of partial Japanese ancestry. Japanese people, especially their mentality and culture, even stand out amongst other Asian cultures. Japanese society is ingrained and indeed bound to an honor code of sorts. One which encompasses the following: saving face/ avoiding bringing shame to family and society, aversion to selfishness/ overt individualism, introspection as opposed to outward blame and demands, ability and expectation to endure hardship without complaints, resilience, and social cohesion i.e. acting for the greater good of society.
I can say without any doubt that looting/ rioting/ crimes, especially in instances like these disasters, didn't happen and will not happen. To do such things would entail such ostracism from society....you have no idea how catastrophic it would be for a Japanese person to be shunned by general society. To identify oneself as Japanese not only carries with it racial/ national inferences, but also a sense of belonging to a community. It's hard to describe to Westerners because most find the concept to be very foreign. But this is ingrained into the Japanese psyche from cradle to adulthood and beyond. That is why it is such a taboo to commit crimes against the community/ society.
Really? Uh...what happened to all of that honor and avoidance of "bringing shame" during the occupations of Korea, China, and the Philippines? I'd bet those people would have a lot to say about Japanese "honor."
Really? Uh...what happened to all of that honor and avoidance of "bringing shame" during the occupations of Korea, China, and the Philippines? I'd bet those people would have a lot to say about Japanese "honor."
I have to respectfully disagree with the application of simplistic logic in order to conflate two disparate sets of actions (and spanning over seventy years at that) into one rather hyperbolic pronouncement. The admirable features of Japanese psyche/ society, which has come to the forefront in the aftermath of recent disasters, is very different from the brutality of its armed forces in China. Moreover, all admirable traits or characteristics when carried to extremes, invariably produce paradoxical effects, i.e. good thinking/ behavior deviating into bad thinking/ behavior. This, in my opinion, gives us some insights into how seemingly harmless set of 'honor codes' can be skewed into destructive models.
In my humble opinion, there can be no explanations let alone excuses for war atrocities during WWII. However, many have tried to provide analysis of psychological and social dispositions which allowed for such crimes to occur.
During WWII, both Japan and Germany shared similar traits of unquestioning nationalism supported by dominant, militaristic cultures. That subsequent mindset was further adopted into brutal indoctrination of soldiers in the case of the Imperial Japanese military. With the abolition of the Samurai class and its code of Bushido, the indoctrination of soldiers no longer included compassion towards defeated enemies/ civilians. Rather, soldiers were taught propaganda about "subhuman Chinese" in eerily similar ways as German school children were instructed on "vermin Jews".
That is the extent to which I will talk about WWII war crimes....on a thread about examining reasons why there had/ has been lack of looting in the aftermath of mass destruction.
Somewhat related to the topic at hand, the discussion of the 'whys' of the orderliness of Japanese people despite insurmountable hardship. The many traits of so-called honor codes, which survive into modern Japanese society, have shown themselves before. When Japanese immigrants started coming to the U.S. following the late 1800s, the Japanese government were determined not to "lose face" by enacting strict selection criterion for prospective emigrants. Japanese government only allowed those who could uphold 'Japanese honor' in the U.S. to come to this country. Those who applied had to prove that they weren't illiterate, that they were hard-working, and that they were willing to completely assimilate into American culture. As a result, Japanese-American immigrants represented one of the most successful examples of assimilation (an idea I wholly support). And it all goes back to the concept of Honor Codes.
The Japanese will never talk about the underworld that exists in their country and culture: organized crime, the sex (fetish) trade, the human trafficking, child prostitution
The Japanese will never talk about the underworld that exists in their country and culture: organized crime, the sex (fetish) trade, the human trafficking, child prostitution
How dare I speak a single word based on the negative aspects of the Japanese culture? Hate to break it to you but its called "reality"
I think it is one thing to admire the beauty of a culture, it is another to ignore the reality that exists within any and all cultures.
You are never going to be able to bring the Japanese down to the level of the New Orleans thugs and criminals. It's watching you try that is so pathetic.
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