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Post by Madgolfer on Mar 19, 2011 9:10:43 GMT 1
Has anyone else noted the dignity (is that the right term) for the way in which the Japanese people are dealing with the destruction and loss of life in their country. There almost seems to be an air of calm, knowing that their nation will get through the disaster without the need to shout and scream about it. Our prayers and admiration go out to them.  |
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Post by crojoe on Mar 19, 2011 9:42:55 GMT 1
Has anyone else noted the dignity (is that the right term) for the way in which the Japanese people are dealing with the destruction and loss of life in their country. There almost seems to be an air of calm, knowing that their nation will get through the disaster without the need to shout and scream about it. Our prayers and admiration go out to them. I lived in Japan for 3 years, and this is an amazing quality Japanese people possess! They are one country I could not find fault, as everything had a place and efficiency is the name of the game. In many ways Japanese people learn to suppress their emotions, but they are like the hardest working people on the planet. A sense of community and belonging to the collective is a major factor (sorry Borg, the Japanese do it better) in every aspect of their lives from birth, school, family life and work till the grave. Even their miss-fits are tame and tow the line. Just being their kept me on my toes, taught me many good things and actually made me feel good about myself. They just lack "how to have fun". It took me about a year to shake many Japanese habits (like head bowing to each person I came into eye contact with), giving name card with two hands, keeping an eye on my watch 24/7, saying NO by crossing two fingers, following the rules and being less aggressive (a good quality). Their immigration system is a sample to the world. Each official wears a type of police suit (and speaks English), you have a spotless immigrations building, forms available, and ticketing system (this was service 16 years back). Maybe some of you saw on Sky or CNN people lining up to get a re-entry permit (required for foreigners returning to Japan), and even out of the street they had police directing the crowds, controlled lines and things where moving (and this is at a moment of crisis and a mad rush to get out of the country) I watch this situation unfold with great sadness and amazement, but it's built into their nature to bounce back. It's almost inhuman. No wonder they are a rich nation, they simply are not afraid of work and progress! To bad none of those fine qualities grace many of the Western nations, or the Balkan states. |
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Post by londoncro on Mar 19, 2011 18:29:31 GMT 1
Are you referring to the same people who committed the Nanjing Massacre where over 300,000 civilians were murdered and 80,000 women/children raped over a 6 weeks period?
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Post by crojoe on Mar 19, 2011 19:15:35 GMT 1
Are you referring to the same people who committed the Nanjing Massacre where over 300,000 civilians were murdered and 80,000 women/children raped over a 6 weeks period? @ Londoncro Lets not live in the past. I mean, we could dig up plenty from what the British did, what Croatians did, what the Americans did, the Germans, yes, and even the Japanese, really just about every country. Sorry, but the Japanese are more open to foreigners today then Croatia is, and work a hell of a lot harder. By the way, they are the only country that ever got nuked and bounced back for the better, with an open market, modern, efficient and progressive. Japan today is not Japan of WW2. |
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Post by siriwan on Mar 19, 2011 20:04:41 GMT 1
Yes, they do have a lot of dignity in those horrible times...
Maybe we shouldn't live in the past, but they certainly are not "perfect" - nobody is.
I had a very hard time with Japanese lacking an open mind when I lived in Thailand and when I trained in France. I am very accustomed to the Asian ways, but always had a problem with many Japanese people. Even the Koreans training with me said they were "too strange" :-))
My very good Japanese friend is one who thinks his own country is backwards and effed-up with its priorities completely wrong...
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Post by londoncro on Mar 19, 2011 20:10:56 GMT 1
Are you referring to the same people who committed the Nanjing Massacre where over 300,000 civilians were murdered and 80,000 women/children raped over a 6 weeks period? @ Londoncro Lets not live in the past. I mean, we could dig up plenty from what the British did, what Croatians did, what the Americans did, the Germans, yes, and even the Japanese, really just about every country. Sorry, but the Japanese are more open to foreigners today then Croatia is, and work a hell of a lot harder. By the way, they are the only country that ever got nuked and bounced back for the better, with an open market, modern, efficient and progressive. Japan today is not Japan of WW2. Japanese history books also claim that the massacre has been wholly fabricated for propaganda purposes! The individuals who committed these murders and rapes are now regarded as war heroes! A people who are in denial! Where else do we see this? |
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Post by londoncro on Mar 19, 2011 20:19:17 GMT 1
Has anyone else noted the dignity (is that the right term) for the way in which the Japanese people are dealing with the destruction and loss of life in their country. There almost seems to be an air of calm, knowing that their nation will get through the disaster without the need to shout and scream about it. Our prayers and admiration go out to them. I lived in Japan for 3 years, and this is an amazing quality Japanese people possess! They are one country I could not find fault, as everything had a place and efficiency is the name of the game. In many ways Japanese people learn to suppress their emotions, but they are like the hardest working people on the planet. A sense of community and belonging to the collective is a major factor (sorry Borg, the Japanese do it better) in every aspect of their lives from birth, school, family life and work till the grave. Even their miss-fits are tame and tow the line. Just being their kept me on my toes, taught me many good things and actually made me feel good about myself. They just lack "how to have fun". It took me about a year to shake many Japanese habits (like head bowing to each person I came into eye contact with), giving name card with two hands, keeping an eye on my watch 24/7, saying NO by crossing two fingers, following the rules and being less aggressive (a good quality). Their immigration system is a sample to the world. Each official wears a type of police suit (and speaks English), you have a spotless immigrations building, forms available, and ticketing system (this was service 16 years back). Maybe some of you saw on Sky or CNN people lining up to get a re-entry permit (required for foreigners returning to Japan), and even out of the street they had police directing the crowds, controlled lines and things where moving (and this is at a moment of crisis and a mad rush to get out of the country) I watch this situation unfold with great sadness and amazement, but it's built into their nature to bounce back. It's almost inhuman. No wonder they are a rich nation, they simply are not afraid of work and progress! To bad none of those fine qualities grace many of the Western nations, or the Balkan states. Good word. |
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Post by justapixel on Mar 19, 2011 21:34:55 GMT 1
Each culture has both its positive and negative sides, and they are entangled together in too many subtle ways - you can't get rid of the vices and keep the virtues. What we can observe presently is that Japanese culture handles natural catastrophes in exemplary fashion, and that's about it.
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Post by 3lions on Mar 19, 2011 22:02:19 GMT 1
They do actually have a history of disasters, the Kanto earthquake in 1923 killed between 100000 and 142000 and therefore they are perhaps more readily to accept one when it happens.
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Post by londoncro on Mar 20, 2011 10:14:42 GMT 1
Are you referring to the same people who committed the Nanjing Massacre where over 300,000 civilians were murdered and 80,000 women/children raped over a 6 weeks period? There is a big difference between a country's war machine and a country's people. You go and tell that to the people of Srebrenica who's loved ones were murdered and raped. |
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Post by Madgolfer on Mar 20, 2011 10:42:31 GMT 1
Hmmmm perhaps getting a little off track from my original post.
Looking back at the Haiti disaster and maybe even Katrina, it just seems to me that the Japanese "people" are dealing with it in a very different way.
Time will tell.
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Post by crojoe on Mar 20, 2011 13:01:59 GMT 1
There is a big difference between a country's war machine and a country's people. You go and tell that to the people of Srebrenica who's loved ones were murdered and raped. Boy Londoncro, I gather from your comments you’re Croatian. As I live in Croatia, I have friends that fought in the war (front line stuff), and while most experienced really bad stuff, killed people and got wounded, saw loved ones and comrades die, today they don't sit around blaming today’s people for the war. Sure, there are certain people, certain leaders they blame, but I know several who now do business with Serbians or Bosnians. This is a fact of life. Sure, they remember, they pay their respects, but they can't bring them back, nor can they continue on in war. One either moves on or remains introverted. War is never pretty and I for one abhor it and firmly believe most fought are done so for financial gain, not for true freedom and care about the people. If one cared about the people, then they wouldn't go to war, they'd find other solutions. No doubt every person has their opinion on the matter, but you can't blame today’s normal people for what happened in the past, especially decades ago |
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Post by londoncro on Mar 20, 2011 17:03:17 GMT 1
I am all for forgiveness, moving on and not living in the past.
However, if we do not remember history and learn from our (human race) mistakes, we will be doing it all over again, heaven forbids!
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Post by crojoe on Mar 20, 2011 17:52:08 GMT 1
I am all for forgiveness, moving on and not living in the past. However, if we do not remember history and learn from our (human race) mistakes, we will be doing it all over again, heaven forbids! Good point Londoncro! Sadly, about the only thing we learn from history is that we never learn. |
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Post by 3lions on Mar 21, 2011 7:00:12 GMT 1
One either moves on or remains introverted. Its actually very complex and can't be so easily quantified, hence the diffilculties British sevicemen have in claiming compensation for PTSD. Someone may appear to have moved on and see their time in the war as "another life" but there are still underlying problems. On the other hand as one ex-soldier told me those that claim to have it don't are in his words are "just bigging it up". In other words its a military culture of deniel to begin with. |
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