Why is there no looting in Japan?

[Invincible]

Mein aisa apnay Pakistan k baare mein parhna chahta hun in my life. Kash mere ye wish poure hou


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.

Here’s my question to you: Why is there no looting in Japan?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

Kim:
Because Japanese culture, unlike all other modern cultures, is based primarily on honor and dignity. Unlike our Katrina disaster, the Japanese don't see this as an opportunity to steal everything in sight. The so-called civilized world can learn much from the stoic Japanese.

Greg in Arkansas:
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.

Natasha:
The Japanese are resourceful, innovative and disciplined people with a great sense of national pride. While they also have criminals and felons, it is not quite in comparison to the sleaze balls we have in our streets. It was disgusting to watch these scum bags loot stores in New Orleans during Katrina when they should have helped their fellow citizens in need. While watching the devastation in Japan is heart wrenching, it is so refreshing to see the civility of people within the calamity they are facing.

Larry in Georgetown, Texas:
Jack, I was blessed to visit Japan several years ago on business and was told that if I lost my wallet in downtown Tokyo that the person who found it would make it their mission to return it to me in tact. These people are very gracious and kind.

Carol:
Sociologists will tell you that the lack of looting is just the result of large numbers of people developing a more orderly society to cope with living in a smaller land mass. Personally, I've always thought it's because they're a more highly evolved race.

Joy:
It's the Japanese culture - very refined, dignified, disciplined and civilized. We should all learn from them. They're the types of people you help out willingly because you know that they'll make full use of any opportunity to get back on their feet.

Richard:
I don't really know. It would be easy to say that they are a very homogeneous society and perhaps in a way consider each other family. In any case they are to be applauded.

[Invincible]

10 things to learn from Japan !!!!!!!!!!


1. THE CALM

Not a single visual of chest-beating or wild grief. Sorrow itself has been elevated.



2. THE DIGNITY

Disciplined queues for water and groceries. Not a rough word or a crude gesture.



3. THE ABILITY

The incredible architects, for instance. Buildings swayed but didn’t fall.



4. THE GRACE

People bought only what they needed for the present, so everybody could get something.



5. THE ORDER

No looting in shops. No honking and no overtaking on the roads. Just understanding.



6. THE SACRIFICE

Fifty workers stayed back to pump sea water in the N-reactors. How will they ever be repaid?



7. THE TENDERNESS

Restaurants cut prices. An unguarded ATM is left alone. The strong cared for the weak.



8. THE TRAINING

The old and the children, everyone knew exactly what to do. And they did just that.



9. THE MEDIA

They showed magnificent restraint in the bulletins. No silly reporters. Only calm reportage.



10. THE CONSCIENCE

When the power went off in a store, people put things back on the shelves and left quietly!

[mukt]

5. THE ORDER

No looting in shops. No honking and no overtaking on the roads. Just understanding.

How can you be so certain? Probably, enough looting was done but no one cared or bothered to report it and everyone had better things to do i.e save their lives

9. THE MEDIA

They showed magnificent restraint in the bulletins. No silly reporters. Only calm reportage.

Just exactly supporting what I said above, The media really did a good job not reporting thefts & looting etc. No silly reporters & calm reportage as you said

[Stunner]

@ mukt

There is not just Japanese media .. In fact Japanese media is all in Japanese language .. Media being talked here about is CNN, BBC, Fox News and Sky News .. Now all these are Western channels and they compared the situation in Japan with their own countries and after that they have reported the great character displayed by the Japanese .. In fact the original article 'Why is there no looting in Japan' is written by Ed West, a British Journalist ..

And yes, not a single dead body was shown on media, as directed by the Japanese Government .. Perhaps they didn't need aid by showing that ..

[nazlili21]

Originally Posted by stunner

@ mukt

there is not just japanese media .. In fact japanese media is all in japanese language .. Media being talked here about is cnn, bbc, fox news and sky news .. Now all these are western channels and they compared the situation in japan with their own countries and after that they have reported the great character displayed by the japanese .. In fact the original article 'why is there no looting in japan' is written by ed west, a british journalist ..

And yes, not a single dead body was shown on media, as directed by the japanese government .. Perhaps they didn't need aid by showing that ..

it means media in japan is not that much free as it is in pakistan. I think the main difference is in morality whether it relates to looting of common people in japan or media persons in japan.

[aphrodite]

Its all of the above plus the fact that the Japs know they will be compensated by their government. It has given them so much over the years and will do so in future too. Japanese culture is also very disciplined with a hard focus on honor known as "Bushido". For a nation that prefers death over a crushed honor, the chances of plundering and injustice are minimal.

[polaris]

about some six seven years back i saw one japanese lady, and good part is that i still remember evrything vry clearly what she did.. i was with my friend, roamin around in streets of kobe (japan's city)... this was there while walking on one footpath when we saw this young suited booted lady ahead of us walking much faster.. she was walking so fast that it looked as if she was in hurry to reach office or something.. u know wt happened then.. all of sudden she stopped... we were scared and thought in our mind, did we do anything wrong or didnt she like if we walked after her.. anyways point to tell, she stopped because of one small dog who was busy in shit business along a roadside, doggy was busy in emptying his bowls. we witnessed that she stood there quietly until dog was finished with his shitting thingy.. when doggy left, there we saw a magnificent show of grace and someone's love towards her land.. this lady took out few tissue papers from her bag,went on the scene, cleaned the shit of doggy with her tissue papers, dropped that filth in nearby garbage bucket and then went on to her way again..
we were like aah.. wt a show.. these are the japanese.. patriots, loyal to their land, and hardworking.. their cities are destroyed evry now and then because of frequent earthquakes but if u visit any quake-hit city after two years u wud nvr know apparently if evr it was hit by any quake.. they're vry honest in their work..