Why is there no looting in Japan

Thought this was interesting

http://www.aolnews.com/2011/03/16/wh...ake-aftermath/


Why Is There No Looting in Japan in Earthquake Aftermath?Mar 16, 2011 – 10:03 AM


Lauren Frayer
Contributor


Flash back to any natural disaster in recent memory, and among the scenes of homes in ruin and families weeping are often all-too-familiar images of looting: Desperate victims smashing windows and stealing food, clothing or electronics -- whether out of greed or necessity. Think about Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, or last year's earthquakes in Haiti and Chile.

But there have been no such scenes reported in Japan, five days after a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and the tsunami it triggered, which swept several northern towns off the map. The country seems to be clinging together socially, without the kind of unhelpful chaos that's come to color such disasters elsewhere.

The question many people are asking is, why?

John Swenson-Wright, a Japan expert at London's Chatham House think tank, believes the answer has to do with Japanese culture.

"There's a general sense of social responsibility that's very fundamental to Japan. Part of that is self-regulation on the part of individuals, part of it is a society in which people are very conscious of their reputations in the eyes of their neighbors and colleagues," Swenson-Wright told AOL News today. "They're reluctant to do anything that would invite criticism."

Another factor is Japanese people's deep-rooted sense of honor, embodied in the words today of their emperor, who rarely speaks publicly and stays out of politics.

"I hope from the bottom of my heart that the people will, hand in hand, treat each other with compassion and overcome these difficult times," Japanese Emperor Akihito said today. Local TV stations cut away from quake and tsunami coverage to broadcast the emperor's speech.

Tsunami Relief: Network for Good

"I am deeply hurt by the grievous situation in the affected areas," the emperor said. "The number of deceased and missing increases by the day. We cannot know how many victims there will be."

But such brotherly love in the face of disaster hasn't always been the case in Japan.

In 1923, what came to be known as the Great Kanto earthquake -- a 7.9-magnitude tremor -- killed more than 100,000 Japanese, devastating Tokyo and the port city of Yokohama. Afterward, rumors swirled about the actual amount of destruction, and ethnic minorities, especially Koreans, bizarrely became scapegoats for the disaster.

One rumor that swept Tokyo was that Koreans were to blame for looting, robbery and arson after the quake. Vigilante mobs began stalking Koreans across Japan, in many cases beating them dead in broad daylight. Hundreds of Japanese were later charged with murder.

"The population at the time embarked on an odious massacre in which tens of thousands of Koreans were butchered," Swenson-Wright said of the 1923 quake and its aftermath. "Nothing like that is going to happen in this current crisis, but there is a kind of extreme dimension to a society that's quite conformist and has a very profound sense of who is part of the society and who is deemed not.

"It's precisely those bonds of close kinship and connection between people that helps explain why people have not taken advantage of the situation [for ill purposes]," Swenson-Wright said. "Also, simply the scale of this event has traumatized people -- the shock of seeing entire communities wiped out overnight."

Sponsored LinksJapan's orderly reaction to Mother Nature's forced chaos is something that has surprised many Americans.

"In the U.S. we can't even win an NBA or NFL championship without violence breaking out," James E. Bodenheimer wrote in a column Tuesday for North Carolina's Gaston Gazette newspaper. "What is the secret that the Japanese hold? Is it honor -- 'saving face'? Is it respect -- 'honor your elders'?

"I, personally, wish to learn from the Japanese people's reactions," Bodenheimer wrote. "I am heartbroken for them. ... Yet fortified by them. Go figure."

japan knows they are a hot bed for earthquakes .. they have some of the best if not the best emergency preparedness plans in the world ... as soon as the quake happened there are videos of people being handed care packages etc ... haiti, chile etc don't have near as good plans, so people become desperate and loot ... some morons takes stuff out of greed, but most is out of necesscity ...

[Spiritwalker]

Originally Posted by DonnaMaria

"In the U.S. we can't even win an NBA or NFL championship without violence breaking out," James E. Bodenheimer wrote in a column Tuesday for North Carolina's Gaston Gazette newspaper. "What is the secret that the Japanese hold? Is it honor -- 'saving face'? Is it respect -- 'honor your elders'?

"I, personally, wish to learn from the Japanese people's reactions," Bodenheimer wrote. "I am heartbroken for them. ... Yet fortified by them. Go figure."

I have actually met this writer.. nice guy....


And he is 100% correct..

[Spiritwalker]

Originally Posted by rearnakedchoke

japan knows they are a hot bed for earthquakes .. they have some of the best if not the best emergency preparedness plans in the world ... as soon as the quake happened there are videos of people being handed care packages etc ... haiti, chile etc don't have near as good plans, so people become desperate and loot ... some takes stuff out of necesscity , but most are morons and it is out of greed ...

I fixed that fer ya...

Originally Posted by rearnakedchoke

japan knows they are a hot bed for earthquakes .. they have some of the best if not the best emergency preparedness plans in the world ... as soon as the quake happened there are videos of people being handed care packages etc ... haiti, chile etc don't have near as good plans, so people become desperate and loot ... some morons takes stuff out of greed, but most is out of necesscity ...

Sorry chief. In 3rd world countries this might be true, but I lived through Katrina and saw the looting first hand. The idiots looting in America did it out of oportunity. The difference between them (Japan) and us (New Orleans) is the quality of people. I know this for a fact.

[Bonnie]

Originally Posted by Rev

Sorry chief. In 3rd world countries this might be true, but I lived through Katrina and saw the looting first hand. The idiots looting in America did it out of oportunity. The difference between them (Japan) and us (New Orleans) is the quality of people. I know this for a fact.

It was just mindboggling to watch that after Katrina, Rev. I could totally understand them taking food, water, diapers... but big tvs and electronics. All I thought was, "And where exactly are you going to plug that in?" It was sad to see that happening on top of everything else.

I think it is a difference in the cultures...the people. Obviously honor and respect hold great store with the Japanese people whereas in other places, for some, it's all about "self" and taking advantage of the situation and others' misfortune.

Originally Posted by Bonnie

It was just mindboggling to watch that after Katrina, Rev. I could totally understand them taking food, water, diapers... but big tvs and electronics. All I thought was, "And where exactly are you going to plug that in?" It was sad to see that happening on top of everything else.

I think it is a difference in the cultures...the people. Obviously honor and respect hold great store with the Japanese people whereas in other places, for some, it's all about "self" and taking advantage of the situation and others' misfortune.

We have a saying about the "needs of New Orleans" since Katrina.
Most people "need" food and water, New Orleans "needs" big screens and basketball shoes".
sad

[Bonnie]

Originally Posted by Rev

We have a saying about the "needs of New Orleans" since Katrina.
Most people "need" food and water, New Orleans "needs" big screens and basketball shoes".
sad

Yeah, well, ya know a lot of those New Orleanians are now Houstonians and Texans. Could you please send some big screen tvs and basketball shoes over.

[rockdawg21]

Because they're not a bunch of stupid ghetto thugs.

[flo]

I think Bonnie hit the nail on the head - it is their culture of "honor and respect". Bushido.

I hated seeing thugs looting their own cities - whether it's New Orleans or LA, Philly, Montreal...just sickening.