Mar

31

I didn't make this up, I read it on Facebook and it is pretty interesting:

10 things we can learn from Japan

1. THE CALM Not a single visual of chest-beating or wild grief. Sorrow itself has been elevated.

2. THE DIGNITY Disciplined queues for water and groceries. Not a rough word or a crude gesture.

3. THE ABILITY The incredible architects, for instance. Buildings swayed but didn't fall

4. THE GRACE People bought only what they needed for the present, so everybody could get something.

5. THE ORDER No looting in shops. No honking and no overtaking on the roads. Just understanding.

6. THE SACRIFICE Fifty workers stayed back to pump sea water in the N-reactors. How will they ever be repaid?

7. THE TENDERNESS Restaurants cut prices. An unguarded ATM is left alone. The strong cared for the weak.

8. THE TRAINING The old and the children, everyone knew exactly what to do. And they did just that.

9. THE MEDIA They showed magnificent restraint in the bulletins. No silly reporters. Only calm reportage.

10. THE CONSCIENCE When the power went off in a store, people put things back on the shelves and left quietly.

Jim Sogi adds:

This is the face they want the world to see. What isn't shown is the massive corruption underylying the nuclear plants and electrical system. Much is hidden in the Japanese culture, like an iceberg. You're only meant to see the nice surface. Its a show. Don't be deceived.

Gary Rogan comments:

Is it really deception though? The restaurants didn't cut prices to protect massive corruption in the nuclear plants and the grieving relatives didn't hold back tears to protect the image of the country. The people are orderly, reserved, and polite to each other in public. Are they angels? No. 


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7 Comments so far

  1. Jerome Armstrong on March 31, 2011 9:15 pm

    Well, how about the ability to die in line.

    I watched it happen over about 30 seconds in one of the videos of the tsunami.

    A truck stopped at a intersection (seemingly for a stop light). Two cars pulled up behind, also stopping. Meanwhile, a van was speeding toward them from behind, racing ahead of the tsunami (which seemed to be moving about 20-30 mph), and pulled to a stop behind the three other vehicles.

    The tsunami overtook them all while they waited, and then probably died.

  2. David Jansen on April 1, 2011 9:29 am

    “Well, how about the ability to die in line. ”

    Have you considered the fact that other cars could be coming in the opposite direction? You can only start to understand the Japanese culture if you actually lived there. I was amazed when I found myself walking home 3 in the morning in Nagoya when the streets were completely empty and the pedestrian cross light was red. My first impulse was just to cross the street while the light was red since there were no cars around. A small group of Japanese people were also next to me. I was the only one crossing the street while the Japanese fellows just waited for the pedestrian light to turn green.

  3. Ed on April 2, 2011 1:48 pm

    Three words:

    Average Population Quality.

    Japan’s is very high.

    Ours (USA) is in decline.

  4. Vincenzo on April 2, 2011 4:26 pm

    I read that there was a great deal of looting and it was confirmed a number of times on news reports.
    V

  5. Kshitij Gupta on April 3, 2011 8:22 am

    Japan has suffered from serious corruption for several years with several prime ministers resigning on graft charges.
    But the society is highly organized and collective. They are generally polite and courteous. Generally nobody stands out.
    Japan had the highest suicide rate in the world. If someone can explain that bit.
    Possibly during WW they are really crazy.
    The people are a paradox.

  6. Anders Westman on April 3, 2011 7:01 pm

    I would add #11 - “Monoculturalism” and the intense pressure to conform that comes with it. It explains most of the above, as well as the Baatan Death March and the mass suicides in Okinawa.

  7. Jerome Armstrong on April 6, 2011 11:04 pm

    Just to answer David.

    I didn’t need to consider it, as the video from the Helicopter showed that there were no oncoming cars, and no cars coming from either of the three directions.

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