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Why no looting in Japan?

caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com

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Re: Why no looting in Japan?

#71

Post by po »

OstiaAntica wrote: post #63
po wrote: post #61

Japan takes a lot of criticism for being a closed off culture. After living here for a while I have started to believe that it is necessary to support these values. Multiculturalism means lowest common denominator. There are efficiencies you can gain by having a monoculture. Nobody has to lock their bikes, subways can have nice cloth seats and you can walk around in any neighborhood and be safe. When I came to Tokyo,…

You should have said something to the guy who's kid littered. That's how culture is supposed to work.

Sure... I've thought about that a lot too. You're saying I should have challenged their values with mine. I probably should have said something. And yet I would spend all day long every day in arguments with people who just don't agree with me. I tend to be rather non-confrontational and don't like arguments. Many people can just shrug it off but I get upset by them. In my mind, this is an example of an efficiency gained by the monoculture.

edit: Just thought of another little anecdote: I was sitting outside roppongi hills eating a bento on a bench when a woman with a kid and a little dog walked by. The dog stopped to poop and when he was finished she quickly scurried away into her high-rise.

My wife and I were flabbergasted. An old woman and her husband walking by gave her the glare and you could see everyone nearby was shocked. About 5 minutes later she came out without the dog but with the kid and a woman from the front desk of her building. They cleaned it up. I guess she didn't have a bag with her and she wanted to drop the dog off and then grab a bag from her house. During the five minutes that it was there, I was thinking how I should have said something.

Re: Why no looting in Japan?

#72

Post by Florin_Andrei »

guelo wrote: post #54

I can't find the link right now but I'm prety sure I saw a news report yesterday about some looting happening. In any case, I see absolutely nothing wrong with looting in an emergency situation where there is no access to food and water.

Well, that's surviving, not looting.

Re: Why no looting in Japan?

#73

Post by chrismealy »

This was already debunked:

'Professor Pflugfelder evidently needs to study Japanese history a little better because after the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 there was widespread looting and rioting, and during the firebombings of WWII looting was a common practice. If these are deep cultural roots, they only go back about two generations'

http://partialobjects.com/2011/03/is-looting-our-default-rea...

Re: Why no looting in Japan?

#74

Post by jf271 »

jjordan wrote: post #9

People respecting people, even in great tragedy and chaos. Refreshing.

From another board:

"We have friends over there and what info we are getting is that they are having to deal with heartache and problems of Biblical proportions. If it weren't for those citizens who are in the older age group who know what to do in desperate times there would be more problems. The older people are self reliant and remember Hiroshima, Nagasaki...they know how to share with each other and help each other in the worst of times. Panic has not gripped them as it would a lot of other countries...look at Haiti..look at other regions where something less than this has taken hold and how they react."

Re: Why no looting in Japan?

#75

Post by po »

nandemo wrote: post #65
po wrote: post #61

Japan takes a lot of criticism for being a closed off culture. After living here for a while I have started to believe that it is necessary to support these values. Multiculturalism means lowest common denominator. There are efficiencies you can gain by having a monoculture. Nobody has to lock their bikes, subways can have nice cloth seats and you can walk around in any neighborhood and be safe. When I came to Tokyo,…

> Nobody has to lock their bikes, Wait, you live in Tokyo, don't you? (I think we met at one of the meetups) Everybody locks their bikes here, and even so bycicle theft is common (well, at least compared to the other types of crime). My own bycicle was stolen while I was out of the country for a couple of weeks... That said, I understand that's not the main point of your comment.

Yes, people lock their bikes: they all have that built in wheel lock thing. It's not like it's a perfect utopia. People are actually very careful about that. Nobody rides around with the giant NYC-style bolt-cutter proof chain like a belt though. You couldn't even have a $1000 bike in NYC but you see them all the time here. There is definitely some theft and crime but it's definitely less.

Also, the biggest bike thief is probably the city. ;-)

Re: Why no looting in Japan?

#76

Post by kierank »

I'm surprised nobody's mentioned the explanation that there's no looting because the Government's emergency response is very good and people are getting what they need at the shelters.

Re: Why no looting in Japan?

#77

Post by stevenveltema »

kstenerud wrote: post #6

Same reason nobody vandalizes vending machines, even when they're quite literally in the middle of nowhere along the side of an unfrequented road in the countryside. Same reason it's unthinkable for a Japanese to take fruit or berries hanging outside of someone's yard, even when it's falling off the branch and rotting on the ground, and yet they'd hardly think twice in their downtown drunken stupor to steal a bicycle…

Vending machines are not vandalized regularly here, but on occasion there is a bust of theft either by breaking them open or machining fake coins so it's not unheard of.

Re: Why no looting in Japan?

#78

Post by stevenveltema »

kmfrk wrote: post #28
kstenerud wrote: post #6

Same reason nobody vandalizes vending machines, even when they're quite literally in the middle of nowhere along the side of an unfrequented road in the countryside. Same reason it's unthinkable for a Japanese to take fruit or berries hanging outside of someone's yard, even when it's falling off the branch and rotting on the ground, and yet they'd hardly think twice in their downtown drunken stupor to steal a bicycle…

Japanese vending machines also have a safety lever (of sorts) that makes all the beverages free, in the event of a catastrophe. I don't know how it works specifically, but I'm sure there would be better ways than to vandalize the machines in order to obtain the contents.

don't know about a lever, but practically all vending machines have a phone it them that can call home about being short on drinks etc. There are also specific machines that have water, speakers, and a screen in addition to the usual fizzy drinks that the local municipality can use in an emergency to give out drinks free, display messages, and sound warnings. These machines are rather few and far between at schools or near city offices, but I have seen them here and there.

Re: Why no looting in Japan?

#79

Post by 9999 »

joebananas wrote: post #37

Man, you guys are just busting out with the exotism in this here thread. "People there carry honor in their blood"...

The original article is definitely full of that sentiment, although the responses here are more measured.

Still, why has no one mentioned the fact that there is nothing left to loot in the areas most effected?

Re: Why no looting in Japan?

#80

Post by nandemo »

po wrote: post #75
nandemo wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Nobody has to lock their bikes, Wait, you live in Tokyo, don't you? (I think we met at one of the meetups) Everybody locks their bikes here, and even so bycicle theft is common (well, at least compared to the other types of crime). My own bycicle was stolen while I was out of the country for a couple of weeks... That said, I understand that's not the main point of your comment.

Yes, people lock their bikes: they all have that built in wheel lock thing. It's not like it's a perfect utopia. People are actually very careful about that. Nobody rides around with the giant NYC-style bolt-cutter proof chain like a belt though. You couldn't even have a $1000 bike in NYC but you see them all the time here. There is definitely some theft and crime but it's definitely less. Also, the biggest bike thie…

I agree. I'm actually glad bycicle theft is just about the worst crime that can happen to me.
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