Why Is There No Looting In Japan?

[Rickster71]

I buy into a lot of that...up to a point. I'm against using class warfare to excuse bad behavior.

Looting was used in the thread title.... but to better explain, it's simply anti-social behavior.
Anything from the stampedes by holiday shoppers at Wal-Mart, or people that cut the line for concert tickets, to the riots after basketball games, and violence that goes on internationally at soccer matches.
No hunger, no desperation, nothing hitting the fan....just bad / anti-social behavior, plain and simple.

 

[psbfan9]

I agree with Rick on this. I'm not well educated. I went to a rural public school. I was in Orlando for three back to back to back hurricanes and I never looted. I was miserable and grumpy, but the thought of stealing ice or a tv never came to me. Does this make better than anyone else, NO!

In any society there are idiots, morons, and mentally challenged people. It seems that most Asian cultures are brought up with strict codes of conduct and face severe punishment when those codes are broken.

As to why there is no looting Japan, I have no idea. But, I hope people can learn from this and learn how to act during a time of hardship.

 

[majorloser]

I still think people are people. Culture plays it's role but when TSHTF ... look out.

That's why we have guns and LOTS of ammo.

 

[Alex2507]

Does this make better than anyone else, NO!

Don't be so modest! I can tell you're a regular prince just by the way you type.

Education comes in many forms. Having a good upbringing counts too. I know one particular guy who is educated as a lawyer and was a lawyer until heroin took him down. He would loot regardless of his education but now he is well below the poverty line.

So ... I meant to use lack of education as a cause for poverty. This isn't like a list of my hard and fast rules. I'm not excusing looting unless it's from either a Sony store or a Magnolia ... that I would understand. It's not like Americans are @ssholes for having looters amongst them. America has looters because there are impoverished people living here.

Anti social behavior may very well be curbed by culture but it's interesting to note that I was forced to look up the definition of that after being accused of it and found that I fit 2/3 of the definitions ... at the time. I'm different now.

In response to itschris rolling his eyes while reading this I want to say that I am not making excuses for bad behavior. I'm trying to understand it in hopes of correcting it on whatever level possible ... or we could just shoot 'em all, right?

Edit:

That's why we have guns and LOTS of ammo.

Thank you for making my point for me.

Double Edit:

This should really flush out the conservative hordes of AH ... where's Clint and Davemcc?

 

[jinjuku]

true story, when i was in Japan...
i asked a local:
1) "where do i get fresh sushi?" he said, "huh? if it's not fresh, it won't be served"
2) "why aren't all these bicycles on the street chained to something, won't they get lost/stolen?" he said "stolen?"

i heard ...
1) during last year's financial depression, Japanese would leave cash in the public toilets to help others in need, basically it's a "if you need it, take it" thing. many were not taken. [they're a proud people]
2) their 'lost and founds' are super full.

True story:

My wife lived in Japan from 98-00 in Kiryu. In a small mountainside Ramen Shop where she and her coworkers went for lunch only to find the wife of the cook there because he was sick.

Customers got up, went in back and helped her make lunch for other patrons.

 

[jinjuku]

I still think people are people. Culture plays it's role but when TSHTF ... look out.

TS did HTF there... What are you talking about?

 

[Alex2507]

TS did HTF there... What are you talking about?

Oh boy. Yes, of course it did. What happened there is a terrible tragedy worthy of my every sympathy and the way the people are conducting themselves is worthy of my every respect.

I hope your not really mad or sad about my comment.
I didn't mean that nothing terrible and tragic happened there.

I meant that in most circumstances people look after their own interests first. Circumstances such as those in Japan would in my opinion cause a break down in the social cohesion that GO-NAD! referred to should the condition last for an extended length of time. I was agreeing with his assessment and thought it to be particularly insightful.

Sorry if there was any misunderstanding about what I thought about the recent events in Japan and thanks for jumping right on that because heaven knows it could so easily be interpreted as me saying that what happened there was no biggie.

 

[digicidal]

TS did HTF there... What are you talking about?

LOL... that was going to be my question... "What more needs to happen to qualify..."

I think there are numerous differences that all play a part, but the role of family in Japanese culture I believe is the most critical. The Japanese are much more family-centric (and thus more community-centric as well). Here in America we've not only had a disintegration of the family-unit but even before that we fractured as a community. Japanese are much more likely to think "what if that shop were owned by my father?" than people here - but it's even more basic than that. The more likely thought is "that shop is owned by someone's father - so I wouldn't dream of doing anything to it that I wouldn't to my own father's shop"... Americans are more likely (even in strong families) to see it as "us against them" - and basically only show real solidarity when faced with an outside threat.

However, a large part of that mindset is the price of true freedom - we have a culture where no one is 'wrong' no matter what they say or stand for. While there are some truly great advantages to operating this way (i.e. scientific, technological, political, artistic freedoms and advances) - it by definition also makes it OK for someone to be a complete @$$hole and spew hatred and bigotry. There is a reason that Japan (and to a great extent many asian cultures/countries - especially China and Korea) excel at manufacturing - but for much the same reason, there are very few truly unique innovations that come from there.

We have many more 'mavericks' here - both good and bad ones - and a culture that rewards those that stand out from the rest. They have a culture that for all intents and purposes rewards those that do not (i.e. those that draw absolutely no attention to themselves whatsoever). Although it's easy to criticize the agressive, mouth-breathing, looting/raping morons we've witnessed in recent catastrophes here... America would also never have become one of the most powerful and wealthy (both in resources and in knowledge) nations this planet has seen in under 250 years. In terms of human history... that's like 5 minutes. Of course, we're working hard to destroy all of that good fortune in even less time... but that's a topic for a different vent.

In any case, I think we can all agree that the people of Japan not only deserve our assistance in every way possible during this time - but our respect and admiration as well. If only we could find a way to embody the best example of both of our cultures while supressing the bad... we could truly make the world a better place for all.

 

[jeffsg4mac]

LOL... that was going to be my question... "What more needs to happen to qualify..."

I think there are numerous differences that all play a part, but the role of family in Japanese culture I believe is the most critical. The Japanese are much more family-centric (and thus more community-centric as well). Here in America we've not only had a disintegration of the family-unit but even before that we fractured as a community. Japanese are much more likely to think "what if that shop were owned by my father?" than people here - but it's even more basic than that. The more likely thought is "that shop is owned by someone's father - so I wouldn't dream of doing anything to it that I wouldn't to my own father's shop"... Americans are more likely (even in strong families) to see it as "us against them" - and basically only show real solidarity when faced with an outside threat.

However, a large part of that mindset is the price of true freedom - we have a culture where no one is 'wrong' no matter what they say or stand for. While there are some truly great advantages to operating this way (i.e. scientific, technological, political, artistic freedoms and advances) - it by definition also makes it OK for someone to be a complete @$$hole and spew hatred and bigotry. There is a reason that Japan (and to a great extent many asian cultures/countries - especially China and Korea) excel at manufacturing - but for much the same reason, there are very few truly unique innovations that come from there.

We have many more 'mavericks' here - both good and bad ones - and a culture that rewards those that stand out from the rest. They have a culture that for all intents and purposes rewards those that do not (i.e. those that draw absolutely no attention to themselves whatsoever). Although it's easy to criticize the agressive, mouth-breathing, looting/raping morons we've witnessed in recent catastrophes here... America would also never have become one of the most powerful and wealthy (both in resources and in knowledge) nations this planet has seen in under 250 years. In terms of human history... that's like 5 minutes. Of course, we're working hard to destroy all of that good fortune in even less time... but that's a topic for a different vent.

In any case, I think we can all agree that the people of Japan not only deserve our assistance in every way possible during this time - but our respect and admiration as well. If only we could find a way to embody the best example of both of our cultures while supressing the bad... we could truly make the world a better place for all.

Excellently put