Why is there no looting in Japan?

[lothar]

In the wake of Japan's deadly earthquake, tsunami and nuclear power plant explosions, we have witnessed the almost indescribable chaos that follows a disaster of this magnitude: loss of life, severe injuries, homelessness, lack of water, food and proper medical care, the physical destruction of towns and cities, and a growing fear of radioactive contamination from power plants that seem beyond anyone's ability to control.

But one heart-wrenching byproduct of disasters like this one has been missing in Japan, and that’s looting and lawlessness.

Looting is something we see after almost every tragedy; for example: last year's earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, the floods in England in 2007, and of course Hurricane Katrina back in 2005. It happens when some people who've seen life as they know it get tossed out the window feel that all morality has been tossed out too. It's survival of the fittest and whatever you can get your hands on is yours, no matter who it belongs to.

But that's not happening in Japan.

Journalist and social commentator Ed West wrote in the UK Telegraph yesterday how struck he was by the Japanese culture throughout this ordeal. He observed how supermarkets cut their prices in the days following the quake and how vending machine owners were giving out free drinks as "people work together to survive." And West was most surprised by the fact that there was no looting.

Many have pointed to the popularity of Japan's distinctive Buddhist and Shinto religions as well as how the values of conformity and consensus are considered virtues in their culture. That's one explanation, but it probably has something to do with remaining true to your moral code even in the darkest hours.

http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/15/why-is-there-no-looting-in-japan/

What do you think?

 

[lothar]

"Two Words......NATIONAL PRIDE The people of Japan love their country and do what is best for the nation......unlike the United States where we love our country and do what is best for OURSELVES."
- Greg in Arkansas

"The Japanese are much better at being Corporate Authority soldiers than we are."
- bob in florida

"The devastation is so complete that would-be looters have no place to bring their loot and are probably more immediately concerned about food, shelter, aftershocks, additional Tsunamis and radiation exposure."
- Richard Oak Harbor, Wa

"because Japanese people at their very core, are very traditional and community-focused. They are not individualistic and self-interested. Looting happens because people are selfish, greedy and in most cases lacking in contentment."
- Bob Kobs

"Japan is a nation that thinks in terms of the collective good. They realize that when one suffers, they all suffer. Every member of society is afforded respect, simply by being a member of society. Most respect & honor their social obligations to act decently towards each other. Sounds Socialist & Christ-Like !"
- sonny chapman

"Excellent question. Is it because of Shinto-ism? Or perhaps the development of their society through subservience to feudal lords and emperors? Or does the close living conditions of so many people strengthen their respect for the rights and property of others, something that is seriously lacking the USA? Having worked for some weeks in Japan in the past, I was always amazed at the courtesy and respect shown to others. One could even see store workers practising bowing before the stores opened to customers."
- Russ in PA

"The Japanese culture is ruled by saving face. After the earthquake and tsunami this has been both good and bad. It keeps the general public courteous, calm, and collected, but it also stops the government and Tokyo Electric from straightforwardly divulging information."
- Andrew Terwilliger

"It starts with a people that have respect for one another, whether or not its a National disaster or everyday life the Japanese have a deep love for one another. What a concept.............."
- Mike McMahon

"One word: Respect. The Japanese culture has been infused with morals and ethics for centuries. Children grow up learning respect at home and at school, and these lessons follow them throughout life. While there will be “bad eggs” in the population who will loot in times of chaos, a majority of Japanese will be busy helping each other."
- Kea from Honolulu

"I guess , Japan is homogeneous society .
people feel that "we are one family ".
if your sister or brother is drown, you save him or her ,don't you ?"
- misuzu in tokyo

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

"The Japanese culture is ruled by saving face. After the earthquake and tsunami this has been both good and bad. It keeps the general public courteous, calm, and collected, but it also stops the government and Tokyo Electric from straightforwardly divulging information."
- Andrew Terwilliger

Saving face is an argument that is used too much. Shame is something that all Asians understand and respect, but that is not what is taking place right now.

What do you call BP's lack of information? I would guess this is the same thing, except honestly Japan and Tokyo Electric have divulged far more information than BP has. I see the progress reports and press conferences as yielding far more information than other disasters. At least we're getting figures in radiation exposure for teh general public.

 

[Sinsear]

There is an option missing from the poll. I'll leave it at that.

 

[lothar]

There is an option missing from the poll. I'll leave it at that.

One poll option I missed that I can think off:
"The only reason there's no looting is because it happened on the country side. If this happened in a major Japanese city like Tokyo or Kyoto like it did in London, New Orleans, Port Au-Prince and Cairo; there would be lots of looting"

What poll option do you think was missing?

 

[Tom]

all the used panties washed away.

 

[dardarla]

I think it could just be a shift in culture, in the west we are more "individualistic" whereas in Asian countries people are more likely to be collectivist or working for the good of all. Each way has it's pro's and con's, and this is an obvious positive to collectivist culture.

 

[lothar]

I think it could just be a shift in culture, in the west we are more "individualistic" whereas in Asian countries people are more likely to be collectivist or working for the good of all. Each way has it's pro's and con's, and this is an obvious positive to collectivist culture.

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[LumbergTech]

Westerners treat each other civilly ( for the most part) on a day to day basis. I really don't think its a fundamental difference in who is better or worse. I do think that on average the west has a culture of discontent and that can lead people to do stupid things when the opportunity arises.

 

[Hacp]

Who did all the looting post Katrina? Who robbed the foot locker? Who raped the girls? Watch the video tapes. Watch the pictures. On google images, type Katrina Looting and see what hits you get.

 

[UberNeuman]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanking_Massacre

 

[lothar]

Who did all the looting post Katrina? Who robbed the foot locker? Who raped the girls? Watch the video tapes. Watch the pictures. On google images, type Katrina Looting and see what hits you get.

http://www.snopes.com/katrina/photos/looters.asp
Done.

 

[JS80]

[/B]"One word: Respect. The Japanese culture has been infused with morals and ethics for centuries. Children grow up learning respect at home and at school, and these lessons follow them throughout life. While there will be “bad eggs” in the population who will loot in times of chaos, a majority of Japanese will be busy helping each other."
- Kea from Honolulu

lol what is this person smoking. The most contemptuous people (especially towards other races they see as inferior) I have ever met were Japanese.

 

[Infohawk]

Really bad poll options.

It's culture. Let's face it East Asian cultures are known for this kind of organization and civility. (But before we pretend like they are 100% superior, we have to recognize that certain aspects of this culture lead to things like Nanking.)

It's overly simplistic to say Westerners riot more. We all know it's certain elements in western countries that tend to be the trouble-makers after natural disasters. If there were huge swathes of Japan that were dominated by inner-city culture they'd have the same problem.

 

[matt0611]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanking_Massacre

Well this shows that the Japanese are quite capable of killing / raping / looting others but what about their own countrymen?

 

[wuliheron]

Like a number of countries Japan has always had an almost zero crime rate.

Sure they have a certain amount of white collar crime, gangs that ritually jack kids up for the lunch money, wife abuse, that sort of thing. But not the kind of serious crime the US has. To them a rash of kids racing their motorcycles in middle of the night was considered a crime wave. The Yakuza are famous in films, but hardly representative of Japanese society.

Americans like to talk about how to get tough on crime and how religion can instill morals in society, but the truth is the growing majority of the world's thriving democracies are like Japan. They're moderately socialist, overwhelmingly secular, and don't have anywhere near the social problems the US does.

 

[lothar]

Really bad poll options.

It's culture. Let's face it East Asian cultures are known for this kind of organization and civility. (But before we pretend like they are 100% superior, we have to recognize that certain aspects of this culture lead to things like Nanking.)

It's overly simplistic to say Westerners riot more. We all know it's certain elements in western countries that tend to be the trouble-makers after natural disasters. If there were huge swathes of Japan that were dominated by inner-city culture they'd have the same problem.

"Morals and honor are important attributes to the Japanese, unlike most Americans and Westerners."
That poll option is culture.

 

[rudeguy]

"Morals and honor are important attributes to the Japanese, unlike most Americans and Westerners."
That poll option is culture.

correct

Japanese also refuse to show fear.

 

[Infohawk]

"Morals and honor are important attributes to the Japanese, unlike most Americans and Westerners."
That poll option is culture.

Not at all. The option is compound and really sloppy, confusing a lot of different viewpoints. Just one example of how it's a bad option is that you could think that morals and honor are important attributes to the Japanese AND Americans and Westerners.

 

[Infohawk]

correct

Japanese also refuse to show fear.

Are you being serious?

The Japanese have an impressive society but they are just human. They're are pictures of Japanese crying all over the place. I don't blame them but to say they don't show fear is weird.

 

[feralkid]

There is an option missing from the poll. I'll leave it at that.

We all know what you are thinking.

 

[JockoJohnson]

We all know what you are thinking.

Because you and everyone else was also thinking the same thing?

 

[MooseNSquirrel]

Having been to Japan the answer is easy yet complicated.

 

[comptr6]

It's overly simplistic to say Westerners riot more. We all know it's certain elements in western countries that tend to be the trouble-makers after natural disasters. If there were huge swathes of Japan that were dominated by inner-city culture they'd have the same problem.

College students and minorities is what you're saying. Japan like most Asian countries send their kids here for college so they aren't there to riot, and Japan doesn't allow blacks and hispanos to live there.

 

[gotsmack]

Like a number of countries Japan has always had an almost zero crime rate.

Sure they have a certain amount of white collar crime, gangs that ritually jack kids up for the lunch money, wife abuse, that sort of thing. But not the kind of serious crime the US has. To them a rash of kids racing their motorcycles in middle of the night was considered a crime wave. The Yakuza are famous in films, but hardly representative of Japanese society.

Americans like to talk about how to get tough on crime and how religion can instill morals in society, but the truth is the growing majority of the world's thriving democracies are like Japan. They're moderately socialist, overwhelmingly secular, and don't have anywhere near the social problems the US does.

They have low crime because Japanese (as are all asian prisons I've heard stories of) prisons are hardcore. You are alone in a small room where you have to kneel all day. If you move too much the guards beat you with a club. If the US had prisons like that, I bet we would have lower crime rates too.