Japanese - Amazing people

From the Christian Science Monitor:

"Although there is tension across the country due to the multiple crises, even in the Tohoku region, any cracks in the structure of the manners and civility that define Japanese culture are hard to spot. Stories of looting and opportunist theft, which often accompany disasters around the world, are not simply unheard of, they are all but unthinkable.

The notion of gaman, to endure or tolerate, is also a core value for the Japanese, and the trait of continuing to show high levels of consideration for others, even when the pressure is on, is often a surprise to outsiders.

At the long lines for gas stations and supermarkets that have spread across the country as far as Tokyo, raised voices or heated tempers are a rarity. People leave gaps for other cars to get through and nobody attempts to cut lines.

Even among the evacuees newly arrived at the Yamagata City Sport Center, there is no sign of disorder, rules are followed to the letter and spirits are generally high."

"A lot of Japanese citizens teach their children to respect the property of others and not to steal. A lot of Americans, for whatever reason, either don't learn these lessons or don't internalize them."  Consider the examples we have seen in America during times of disaster, or merely times of opportunity presented to the dishonest.  Jay Evenson presents the question...


Again, it might be as simple as this:  "A lot of Japanese citizens teach their children to respect the property of others and not to steal. A lot of Americans, for whatever reason, either don't learn these lessons or don't internalize them." (Jay Evenson - Deseret News, Why don't the Japanese loot?)