Why is there no looting in Japan?

[Eric J (Viking)]

What a bloody fine example!

Why is there no looting in Japan?

The landscape of parts of Japan looks like the aftermath of World War Two; no industrialised country since then has suffered such a death toll. The one tiny, tiny consolation is the extent to which it shows how humanity can rally round in times of adversity, with heroic British rescue teams joining colleagues from the US and elsewhere to fly out.

And solidarity seems especially strong in Japan itself. Perhaps even more impressive than Japan’s technological power is its social strength, with supermarkets cutting prices and vending machine owners giving out free drinks as people work together to survive. Most noticeably of all, there has been no looting, and I’m not the only one curious about this.

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/files/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-14-at-10.17.43-448x288.png

This is quite unusual among human cultures, and it’s unlikely it would be the case in Britain. During the 2007 floods in the West Country abandoned cars were broken into and free packs of bottled water were stolen. There was looting in Chile after the earthquake last year – so much so that troops were sent in; in New Orleans, Hurricane Katrina saw looting on a shocking scale.

Why do some cultures react to disaster by reverting to everyone for himself, but others – especially the Japanese – display altruism even in adversity?

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/edwest/100079703/why-is-there-no-looting-in-japan/

viking

[Hawkwind]

Why is there no looting in Japan?

For starts the culture is extremely group oriented. Doing anything which upsets the harmony of a group is generally frowned upon. That includes any form of stealing. Things have changed somewhat in recent years, but when I was there (1987 to 1997) if you forgot your wallet at a bar you would generally get it back with everything still in it.

[king anthony]

[B]Why is there no looting in Japan?

There has been no looting in Japan because the people have been conditioned differently then in 'Westernized Lands', and (most of all) the event was not started with (from their perspective) foreign interests.

[Gone002]

They have honour and respect.

[The One]

And they were brought up proper not suprising after the atomic bomb

[SKAWF]

the japanese way of life is honour based, and there are strict social protocols.
breaching those protocols is a big thing over there.
dishonouring oneself is a massive shame upon that person.
the idea of looting probably doesnt enter the thinking of the japanese mind.

steve

PS it says a lot about western culture doesnt it?!!

[TigerLilly]

I was there in the late 80s and the people were wonderful, curious, friendly, formal, quite charming.

It is the only country where I hitched lifts without any concern for safety and no waiting!

[TigaHawk]

I also think it may have something to do with how thye live.

I understand that by our views - living over in japan would have been.... quite cramped. The living space they have by our standards is incredibly small. They're perfectly fine with living like this. In fact - less room in you're living space forces you closer to other people. When you're no longer able to hide out in you're room behind closed doors and play computer games in solitude..... you probably wont be inclined to try as much. As you're being bought up in an enviroment where people ARE closer to eachother, both physicaly and emotionaly.

I think because of this less barriers are made... u know how people put up walls?

[peterstein]

MAYDAY

2 total meltdown explosen
1 and 3 Offical now

mayday millions in danger zone

leave the county as sonn as possible

[Lettherebelight]

@ Peterstein

Got a source/link?
Thanks..

[mcaballero]

I have some friends in Japan, and I might be a bit edgy, but they have a very close society, which helps them protect themselves from outside MSM ;-).

[johnf]

I have spent time with someone who was raised in the US, and lived in Hawaii for about 10 years before living in Oregon for a short time.
She was a student of psychology and philosophy over there and knew a lot about Island cultures.
When you live on a small land mass, where there is a high population. Consequences bounce back much faster than in other environments.
The communities are more tightly knit than continental cultures, and people have a tendency to know everyone else.
These facts have been compounded by the oriental cultures, which have also stressed community and family closeness and mutual respect.

As I started writing this it occurred to me that the rest of the world has filled to it's borders and has become a world wide Island culture.
This is the shape of things to come for the rest of us as well.
It is quite likely that the survivors of these catastrophes will have to abandon their Islands entirely, or at least make an exodus in large numbers.
Perhaps the rest of us cultural pygmies could learn from them?

[Meesh]

Yes, the more eastern countries, like Japan, tend to be strongly collectivistic. They generally identify themselves as a part of the community. Keep in mind I am speaking relative to a nation, a large group--not everyone within collectivist culture necessarily shares that collectivist spirit. The US is in general strongly individualistic. We stress individual rights and have more of a "you need to take care of yourself" type of attitude. I have heard it said that the US is the most individualistic of all the industrialized countries. Again, keep in mind that we are talking about large groups--certainly there are many individuals in the US who have a community type orientation.

[Fred259]

[B]Why is there no looting in Japan?

There has been no looting in Japan because the people have been conditioned differently then in 'Westernized Lands', and (most of all) the event was not started with (from their perspective) foreign interests.

Good point King Anthony, Japan was a closed society for many years.

It’s a very though provoking question Viking.

[slipknotted]

wow didnt even notice that, that's impressive more power to them and wish them well !

[Lifebringer]

Some are in 1st 2nd or 3rd dimension and hense can't get beyond the fight or flight method.

When in fear of dying, sometimes the mind acts this way, when facing death. Most of the people are still in shock.

[honeybee]

the japanese way of life is honour based, and there are strict social protocols.
breaching those protocols is a big thing over there.
dishonouring oneself is a massive shame upon that person.
the idea of looting probably doesnt enter the thinking of the japanese mind.

steve

PS it says a lot about western culture doesnt it?!!

I agree, I lived there for around 18 months. They are very gentle people, with a strong sense of self respect and honour. I read in a guide book before I went that they are the kind of people who would run after you in the street to give you a coin you may have dropped. This is absolutely true, I never witnessed any crime in the whole time I was there and felt safe walking around at any time of night.

They are lovely people, it's such a tragedy what is happening there at the moment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzcCvAFyLwo&feature=feedf

http://jasonkelly.com/helpjapan/

[modwiz]

It is cultural. A disgraced CEO in Japan may commit suicide. In America they will give themselves bigger bonuses for getting away with it. The small scale looters we see in the aftermaths of disasters like Katrina are sad, distasteful sights indeed and speak to the horrible imbalances at every level imaginable of our society but, are mere abrasions compared to the mortal wounds inflicted upon us by the captains of industry and the free market.

The West is morally impoverished. The Judaeo-Christian moral core has not been successful in producing spiritual mindedness in our culture.
Atheists show better ethics because they have no books to back their distortions of said ethics.

Concepts of "the only path to salvation" and "chosen people" are toxic and the fruits of these ideologies are on full display in Western culture.

[DeDukshyn]

It doesn't look like there is anything worth salvaging .... but in my mind I like to believe that Japan is just more civilized than America. Also, when you have something that effects everyone in the area, I'm pretty sure it's just not high on the mind right now.

[jorr lundstrom]

Honour has a strong tradition in Japan. Once we had strong honour here in

Scandinavia. Its said in Havamal one old scripture from the days we worshiped

the Aesirs: Animals die, friends die and you, yourself will die, I know one thing

that never dies, judgement over a dead man.

Today it seems that its alright for many to take (steal) everything you can take.

Its really sad. And its ordinary people that buy stolen things. If ordinary people

hadnt bought stolen things, there hadnt been any use in stealing them.:nod:

[Flash]

They are a collectivist society, therefore everything is for the group, the greatest good of the group.,
They are a hierarchical society, therefore they respond to authority politely, with some obedience, which in case of catastrophy can be good as long as authority is good.
they are monochromne society, therefore all is in order and in timely fashion when they can
they are a long term oriented society
so everything for the group on the long term.

(Original research from Dr. Gerd Hofsteed studies on cultural differences.)

I would add up to it that they are a very homogenous society, contrarily to most western countries. Therefore they moslty share the same common values.

They are also a rich society with some leverage in terns of social help. So they are not used to think in terms of having to steal in order to get the minimum, but they think in terms of shame in harming the collectivity.

I bet Taiwanese would react in a similar fashion. But this is only a bet.

I agree with Modwiz, the West is morally impoverished. I also think that material poverty is quite widespread in US and some western countries, therefore the proliferation of desire to have.

[Ruby L.]

I'd caught this thread moments after I'd read an article about the Japanese people maintaining their sense of honour and decorum in the midst of devastation and destruction. It moved me to tears.

People can still hold themselves, and don't have to be savages... even in the worst of times.

Taken from The Seattle Times: Japan retains decorum in face of pileup of catastrophes (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2014497196_quakereact15.html)


At a convenience store in one battered coastal prefecture, a store manager turned to a private electrical generator. When the generator stopped working and the cash register no longer could open, customers who had been waiting in line quietly returned their items to the shelves.
....

"We value harmony over individualism," said Minoru Morita, a well-known Tokyo-based political commentator. "We grow up being taught that we shouldn't do anything we are ashamed of. It is these ideas that make us."

[Artemesia]

[B]
And solidarity seems especially strong in Japan itself. Perhaps even more impressive than Japan’s technological power is its social strength,


This is quite unusual among human cultures, and it’s unlikely it would be the case in Britain.
Why do some cultures react to disaster by reverting to everyone for himself, but others – especially the Japanese – display altruism even in adversity?

What a wonderful way to see through the 'tragedy' of the event and really get to a core message of maybe why this happened where it did... it could have happened anywhere on the ring of fire but it happened where the people would show the world what HUMANE means, what it is to show dignity, what it is to be impeccable. These people are not 'victims' of mysterious forces, they are living examples of what can happen when people choose to be authentic in the face of great change, accept causality, remember themselves, and in so doing, show the world what it needs to remember most.

Beautiful.

This also speaks to your own greatness, to see the event and describe it in these terms. When we begin to walk in this way, the Earth begins to move under us, even as we move over her. Interaction. Integration. The best I've seen in some time.

[Davidallany]

Japan is not very multicultural, I have noticed that looting happens when there is more than one nationality in a country and there is miscommunication, misunderstanding and mistrusting. Or in other cases looting is something that is orchestrated by the government itself to target a group of people.

[Gustav]

[B]Why is there no looting in Japan?

There has been no looting in Japan because the people have been conditioned differently then in 'Westernized Lands', and (most of all) the event was not started with (from their perspective) foreign interests.

Good point King Anthony, Japan was a closed society for many years.

It’s a very though provoking question Viking.

A closed society which had to be forced open by 'other interests', amongst them American, in the 19th century. The dutch of course were there on Deshima for a few centuries. But they/we never were allowed in. Catholic or Christian missionaries were hunted to be removed (peacefully). It was not until the elite was suckered into money and prestigious education in 'the superior West' Japan slowly became more open. Interesting side-note as an example in their way of thinking. The traditional baths they have there apparently were mixed. It was not until the introduction of westerners that the separation between men and women has come about. Also somewhere in the 19th century.

To keep a short story short: I would like to visit Japan very much, even with this current disaster. I met a japanese guy when I lived in Sweden and he was one of the kindest people I have known. The other asian people I met: similar kind, open and inquisitive. I hope they recover well as soon as harmonious as possible

[Darla Ken Pearce]

The Japanese are a beloved people and may just walk off their island onto Lemuria as it begins to rise in the Pacific and will be very close close at hand to transition over into Earth in ascension. It's hardly a jump away from them now. Where there are no more betrayals and where Heaven will be established on earth once again ~ but this time only love and light will prevail over all the lands ; ) xoxox

[azure]

Could be that the government is very strict on that sort of thing, too. Their relief teams acted pretty fast as well as compared to Katrina, actually the same day. That was very good :)

[Eric J (Viking)]

Found this on my travels....name of sender removed...

A letter from Sendai ...

3/14/2011

Things here in Sendai have been rather surreal. But I am very blessed to have wonderful friends who are helping me a lot. Since my shack is even more worthy of that name, I am now staying at a friend's home. We share supplies like water, food and a kerosene heater. We sleep lined up in one room, eat by candlelight, share stories. It is warm, friendly, and beautiful. During the day we help each other clean up the mess in our homes. People sit in their cars, looking at news on their navigation screens, or line up to get drinking water when a source is open. If someone has water running in their home, they put out a sign so people can come to fill up their jugs and buckets.

It's utterly amazingly that where I am there has been no looting, no pushing in lines. People leave their front door open, as it is safer when an earthquake strikes. People keep saying, "Oh, this is how it used to be in the old days when everyone helped one another." Quakes keep coming. Last night they struck about every 15 minutes. Sirens are constant and helicopters pass overhead often. We got water for a few hours in our homes last night, and now it is for half a day. Electricity came on this afternoon. Gas has not yet come on. But all of this is by area. Some people have these things, others do not. No one has washed for several days. We feel grubby, but there are so much more important concerns than that for us now. I love this peeling away of non-essentials. Living fully on the level of instinct, of intuition, of caring, of what is needed for survival, not just of me, but of the entire group.
There are strange parallel universes happening. Houses a mess in some places, yet then a house with futons or laundry out drying in the sun. People lining up for water and food, and yet a few people out walking their dogs. All happening at the same time. Other unexpected touches of beauty are first, the silence at night. No cars. No one out on the streets. And the heavens at night are scattered with stars. I usually can see about two, but now the whole sky is filled. The mountains in Sendai are solid and with the crisp air, we can see them silhouetted against the sky magnificently.

And the Japanese themselves are so wonderful. I come back to my shack to check on it each day, now to send this e-mail since the electricity is on, and I find food and water left in my entranceway. I have no idea from whom, but it is there. Old men in green hats go from door to door checking to see if everyone is OK. People talk to complete strangers asking if they need help. I see no signs of fear. Resignation, yes, but fear or panic, no.

They tell us we can expect aftershocks, and even other major quakes, for another month or more. And we are getting constant tremors, rolls, shaking, rumbling. I am blessed in that I live in a part of Sendai that is a bit elevated, a bit more solid than other parts. So, so far this area is better off than others. Last night my friend's husband came in from the country, bringing food and water. Blessed again.

Somehow at this time I realize from direct experience that there is indeed an enormous Cosmic evolutionary step that is occurring all over the world right at this moment. And somehow as I experience the events happening now in Japan, I can feel my heart opening very wide. My brother asked me if I felt so small because of all that is happening. I don't. Rather, I feel as part of something happening that much larger than myself. This wave of birthing (worldwide) is hard, and yet magnificent. Thank you again for your care and Love of me, With Love in return, to you all,

(name withheld by request)

viking

[jookyle]

Their Government was prepared for something like this. They've been preparing for something like this ever since 1995 after the Kobe quakes. Those who have survived have been provided for. They don't need to loot, in fact if they did, they would just waste time getting to the supplies provided for them.

But to be honest, I think it is a bit of generalization to say there's been zero percent of looting. I'm sure what could be salvaged has been. It's just the parts that were destroyed, were really destroyed.