Japanese Carrying On Honorably

[Yiskitt]

Japan has the highest suicide rate of all developed countries.
Their society has a harsh, unseen downside, many suffer because of the same honour, respect and manners that outwardly we admire.

But on the inside, they are just as terrible as any of us, they just don't show it in public.

My theory on that is that the people commit suicide because they feel they are unfit to live in society because their flaws have caused them to do something frowned upon. It seems like this society is just trying to make people as perfect as they possibly can, which has good intentions considering if everyone became selfless the world would progress so much faster. The big draw back is that when people make a significant mistake they feel like it is unredeemable. That is the only major flaw in Japanese society that I at least see.

[Fojos]

I want to think my own country, Sweden, has a similar mindset and helpful nature when needed, but we haven't really been through as much as Japan has.

I would definitely say we don't. We're an individualistic people like the US.

[Collegeguy]

There was a poster on this forum that stated something about " American system is all about one-uping your peers to get to the top" or something like that. As much as I dislike it, it is true. Japan as far as I know give teachings and wisdom to each other and form closer bonds within their professions.
Hurricane Katarina made me feel bad before I saw what was happening after the storm. Leaving dead bodies out in the street, killing people and looting does not make your country look good. Speaking of, I was thinking this earlier...

"How can you claim to be the greatest country in the world when your people run around like chickens with your heads cut off everytime you see a burn match?"

And chances are the Japanese people have had preparation and experience in this kind of thing

Well, arguing why one culture is superior to another is nothing more than ethnocentrism. Their culture is not better than anyone else, but we should respect each other and understand each other.

For example, the Japanese have a saying "If you see a nail sticking out, hammer it in," and not everyone enjoys that idea. One time, I had to have a meeting in order to hang a picture on a wall. It is a very interesting culture to learn.

[hightides24]

It's a fact of life that after any disaster, humans will come together and help one another. It was like that after 9/11 in the US, and it was like that after Katrina, and it's like that after the earthquake in Japan. But, like all other disasters, everyone will return to normal soon, and this charitable-like behavior will be gone.

In fact, I'm not sure whether you were mislead or just ignorant, but this same behavior was fluent during the disasters in the US as well.

[apepi]

Because in north america we never got hit by a bomb that wiped us all out, it forced them to work together and it just stuck with them.

They were honorable before they got hit.

[Lysah]

They were honorable before they got hit.

Yes, indeed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushido

[Yiskitt]

Yes, indeed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushido

The Last Samurai anyone?

[skatblast]

So they can go threw a disaster without America having to help, good job.

[Asotcha]

they have a lot more experience in dealing with grand scale natural disasters--there one of the few societies where tsunamis are taken as a disruptive ---but reasonable--fact of life for their area, to the point that they build some structures with the foresight of that happening. we arent exactly strangers to disasters, natural or otherwise, but we also dont court them on a regular enough basis to two-step around them subconciously in other things we do and how.

Also, its not like after katrina everyone just went ape-shit and started doing wrong by each other---there are a few bad apples in every barrel and thats the same for everywhere. we are every bit as capable and have commited great humanity toward each other in times of peril as everyone should--provided they can do it safely and with trust that the person theyre trying to 'help' can be taken at face value--theres a lot of nutcases out there.


They are handling this horrible buisness well, its crazy to imagine so many vastly different crisis' happening all at once...we should be sure to give them credit for grace in these extreme situations, pray for their families, and do our part to help them as best we can.


what i will say on the human scale is that while its wonderful to see almost every nation in the world (i heard even poor countries in africa worked up 50k to help, and if thats not sacrifice in their position i dont know what is) working to help japan together in the name of doing the right thing-- that its too bad that it took a huge earthquake, a tsunami, and a nuclear crisis on an unsuspecting populace to make it happen.

[ciggy]

I salute japan

It tears me apart to hear about the suffering these folks are dealing with, I take my hat off to them and wish them the best. Say what you will, but I have said many prayers for them

[volescue]

Nearly all of our history in America is based around being selfish and thinking about our own well being. Japan has always been about doing what is best for country, family, and business.

[mordale]

Nearly all of our history in America is based around being selfish and thinking about our own well being. Japan has always been about doing what is best for country, family, and business.

to the utter extreme of self repression, don't get me wrong i love their culture but they aren't perfect.

also /tar Japan. /salute.

[DionLight7]

Well, arguing why one culture is superior to another is nothing more than ethnocentrism. Their culture is not better than anyone else, but we should respect each other and understand each other.

For example, the Japanese have a saying "If you see a nail sticking out, hammer it in," and not everyone enjoys that idea. One time, I had to have a meeting in order to hang a picture on a wall. It is a very interesting culture to learn.

True but I was more concerned at the fact that our people weren't acting as civilized as I thought they would, despite the fact it affected everyone in the area

My theory on that is that the people commit suicide because they feel they are unfit to live in society because their flaws have caused them to do something frowned upon. It seems like this society is just trying to make people as perfect as they possibly can, which has good intentions considering if everyone became selfless the world would progress so much faster. The big draw back is that when people make a significant mistake they feel like it is unredeemable. That is the only major flaw in Japanese society that I at least see.

It's the same here too. We do not stress good intentions but perfection. Society says this EVERY WEEK. When someone can't go high enough on the "chart" they are harassed and comes to the point of it being unbearable. Over time if something wonderful doesn't occur then....well bad things happen.

For example: I'm a passive person. I didn't learn how to be assertive and when I do there are days I want to be violent. But I can't be violent cause their is a chance I'll get my ass kicked, which keeps me at passive. Relationships, jobs and everyday importance is all about assertiveness. Because of this, there are days I wish I was killed.


But yeah. It's all about expectations and some people can't handle it. ( I don't blame them though)

[Ooldoong]

Their anime is a lot better than ours.

Honor, courage, and discipline aren't lost on the Japanese.

The robots we make to kill off the undead will probably spare the Japanese after they go crazy and kill off everyone else.

[Stelio Kontos]

I think there's a little Japanophilia seeping into this topic.

Wait, no, there's quite a bit actually.

Did someone actually call the Japanese in WW2 honorable?

Really? I guess the millions of dead Chinese civilians, thousands of raped Korean women, and thousands of massacred Asians across the Pacific Rim didn't happen. I guess Unit 731 never existed. I guess the fact Japanese have always treated ethnic Koreans in the country like dogs never happened. I guess the Japanese untouchable caste never existed.

Let's not lionize a culture at least as flawed as every other because of a natural disaster. It's a tragedy that people are suffering, and they should be helped, but they are intrinsically and culturally no better or more enlightened than anyone else.

Furthermore, a few years ago, I worked in a program bringing over high school graduates from Ibaraki to my local college for English and tourism classes. These kids were not honorable or enlightened or anything of the sort. They drank and lied and slept around like any other youth their age. They were no better, many of them were spoiled rotten and had known no difficulty in their lives. Again, why are we lionizing people for no reason?

[Lysah]

Again, why are we lionizing people for no reason?

Because the actions of a few cannot speak for the actions of many.

[glo]

Japan has always been known for an almost non-existent crime rate. I think they're just brought up better than the majority of the world...

[Stelio Kontos]

I know Japanophiles have no real grasp of Japanese history, of the atrocities they've brought on their neighbors for centuries, but watching a bit of manga and having some hentai comics hidden under your mattress does not make you have anything near an educated view regarding the much-vaunted Japanese superiority.

To this day they still treat Koreans and untouchables like dogs in Japan.

In the aftermath of the 1923 Kanto earthquake, Japanese civilians banded together honorably and diligently....to slaughter Koreans who they blamed for bringing bad fortune and earthquakes to Japan. Between 2,500 and 6000 Koreans and Chinese were murdered.

but don't mind me, this is a culture superior to every other one.

---------- Post added 2011-03-16 at 08:36 PM ----------

At the end of the day, the fact there is no looting and order prevails has nothing to do with a pseudo-mythical Japanese superiority. It has to do with economics.

Japan is homogeneous and wealthy. Hurricane Katrina turned into a quagmire because it hit a racially mixed region that was economically disadvantaged. This is even more true of Haiti. The people saying the Japanese are somehow better for their behavior are no different than those who point out Katrina and Haiti as a polemic against blacks.

Race has nothing to do with it. Culture is only nominally related. There was a serious earthquake in New Zealand last month. Was there widespread chaos and looting? No.

Fetishists and orientalists need to stop using real life tragedies to stoke their obsessions.

[Deleted]

Not to sound cold or anything - But this is what over thousand of years of feudal government does to a people. Good or bad, I'm not the one to judge. However their culture is very anti-individualistic which is convenient for a government that wishes to exploit it's people. They seem to put alot of faith in authority.

[Dariela]

It was 3 Mile Island, not Long Island, but point taken.