Why is there no looting in Japan?

[Crumbled_pavement]

Before you answer, read both the article posted below and the comments to that article.

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/ed...ing-in-japan/#

I'm sure there has been some looting in Japan, but obviously not on the same scale as seen in other catastrophes. Why is this?

Let the debates begin...

[epiphany]

Because the Japanese respect each other. You can go to Tokyo and park your bike anywhere [[without a lock) and it will most likely still be there when you get back. They don't seem to have the sense of entitlement that Americans have. What is happening there is really sad. I am at a loss for words.

[Crumbled_pavement]

Because the Japanese respect each other. You can go to Tokyo and park your bike anywhere [[without a lock) and it will most likely still be there when you get back. They don't seem to have the sense of entitlement that Americans have. What is happening there is really sad. I am at a loss for words.

Interesting response. Question, where do you think the "sense of entitlement" that Americans feel came from?

[rb336]

Interesting response. Question, where do you think the "sense of entitlement" that Americans feel came from?

The welfare state? wait, Japan has more of that than we do, so does Denmark, another place where you can leave your bike unlocked, leave an infant unwatched in its pram while you have a coffee, etc., without worrying

it is not so much a sense of entitlement as a to hell with everyone else, i want mine attitude

[epiphany]

The welfare state? wait, Japan has more of that than we do, so does Denmark, another place where you can leave your bike unlocked, leave an infant unwatched in its pram while you have a coffee, etc., without worrying

it is not so much a sense of entitlement as a to hell with everyone else, i want mine attitude

You are right. It has more to do with the fact that people here are simply inconsiderate of other people. It is a fundamental cultural difference within our society. In other countries, they are more concerned with the country as a whole and not just the well-being of themselves as individuals. They consider themselves to be more of a collective group.

[Detroitnerd]

Simple.

When nonblack people go into a store to take things in the wake of an emergency, it's only because they need to survive.

When black people go intoa store to take things in the wake of an emergency, it's ALWAYS LOOTING.

And, since there are so few black people in Japan, that would mean there would be ALMOST NO LOOTING.

[bailey]

Simple.

When nonblack people go into a store to take things in the wake of an emergency, it's only because they need to survive.

When black people go intoa store to take things in the wake of an emergency, it's ALWAYS LOOTING.

And, since there are so few black people in Japan, that would mean there would be ALMOST NO LOOTING.

Well, there was no looting to speak of in the Tennesse floods last year either...was that because there are no black people in Tennesee?

[Detroitnerd]

Well, there was no looting to speak of in the Tennesse floods last year either...was that because there are no black people in Tennesee?

I heard there was looting. A cop was quoted as saying: “No, the looting. It started tonight, mostly in West and South Nashville.”

I'll bet those are black neighborhoods. When nonblacks rush out of a 7-Eleven with diapers and stuff, they're just fending for their families. But the blacks? All looters...

[bailey]

yup. just getting those necessities.

But more to the point....yes..there is no looting in Japan and it's not because there are no black people there....

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.
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.

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/ed...ting-in-japan/

Race has little to do with it. Its a cultural and poverty thing. If Detroit metro area flooded tomorrow, you think that buffy and timmy out in Birmingham are going to be looting Hienikens or are they going to leave with mom and dad for a hotel [[or to the cottage) on higher ground?.

If you have a culture of shared sacrifice instead of "i got mines" or if it is a relatively well off and highly educated population, chaos is not the immediate result in a time of crisis.

[Danny]

Remember the 2003 blackout in Northeast and Northwest. When Detroit is in the dark, there was NO LOOTING!

The Japanese are the most honored, dispiciplined people on Earth next to Great Brittain and the Chinese. Damaging peoples' property is like damaging their ancestors' soul. The Japanese fight the problems with honor than competition. We Americans fight with NO HONOR with competition, greed, power and ignorance and the love of money. We Americans rather defeat the enemy to death than to show more mercy. While the Japanese do the reverse. Americans will NEVER be like the Japanese. Our progatives are too strong and its every person for him and herself. That's what keeps America moving.

WORD FROM THE STREET PROPHET

There's two ways to survive in America, be a somebody or a nobody!

Neda, I miss you so.

[Detroitnerd]

Hey, I'm just saying, when black people take stuff out of stores, it's looting.

When nonblack people take stuff out of stores,

It's because they're going to pay for it later.

It's because that stuff would have been destroyed anyway.

It's because they're actually keeping the stuff safer by not leaving it in the store.


As for the Heineken photo, Bailey, stop posting pictures of me!

[Danny]

I'll bet those are black neighborhoods.

When nonblacks rush out of a 7-Eleven with diapers and stuff, they're just fending for their families. But the blacks? All looters...

Now you're playing race cards! Not all blacks are looters and same as not all whites and any other ethnic people are looters. You have to look the poverty vs. the rich thing. The old "Robin Hood" syndrome problem in America and other international cities goes through in the midst of civil unrest.

WORD FROM THE STREET PROPHET!

Be ethical for Neda's sake.

[DetroitDad]

Simple.

When nonblack people go into a store to take things in the wake of an emergency, it's only because they need to survive.

When black people go intoa store to take things in the wake of an emergency, it's ALWAYS LOOTING.

And, since there are so few black people in Japan, that would mean there would be ALMOST NO LOOTING.

You can't loot essentials needed to survive through a disaster. Looting is the stealing or plundering of non-essential luxury items [[like an LCD TV). Scavenging refers to the taking of essential supplies [[food, water, etc.) needed for survival. In many places, scavenging is viewed as acceptable in certain situations.

[maxx]

Eastern and middle eastern people are taught a sense of family honor. It is manifested in terrible actions like honor murder and kamikazes and in positive behaviors like a strong work ethic and low crime rates. The lower classes probably have less of this sense of honor because they are so stinking poor. Perhaps the Japanese also have a strong cultural identity they are proud of which gives them an outlook that they are together against the rest of the world. This doesn't create strong trust of non-Japanese, but in the world today, what foreign powers can you really trust?

[Gistok]

Funny people those Japanese...

They seem so timid and helpful.... but in other ways they are such an enigma.... still haven't fessed up to the atrocities of WWII... their schoolbooks are virtually mum on the subject. This is why they still after over 1/2 century aren't all that well loved by their fellow Asians. Seems like their "honor" and helpfulness still holds several dark secrets.

One thing is that they are a shrinking aging nation... Xenophobia prevents them from allowing foreigners to move to their country. They also don't want to dilute their race with the blood of foreigners.

During WWII nearly 9 out of 10 POWs in Japanese POW camps died from horrible conditions... and the fact that they treated other peoples, including fellow Asians as subhuman. Lord Mountbatten, Queen Elizabeth's late uncle so despised the way his troops were treated by the Japanese, that he stated in his will that he didn't want a single Japanese attending his public state funeral.

Thousands of Korean women used as prostitutes by Japanese soldiers in WWII?? Many elderly surviving Korean women still swear to it... but according to the Japanese... it didn't happen.

The slaughter in China known as "The Rape of Nanking"? Not according to the Japanese...

And as I already mentioned the schoolchildren of Japan don't hear the horror stories that their forefathers committed [[unlike those of Germany... who not only have to read about it... but have to visit concentration camps and memorials to learn of the sins of their grand and great grand parents). It gets completely whitewashed in Japanese history books.

Even a week after the peace treaty was signed on the USS Missouri... the Japanese were murdering leftover American POWs [[especially those used for "Mengele" type medical experiments) still found on the Japanese mainland.

Yes the Japanese are a polite and friendly people.... still hiding a dark and foreboding past.... not quite so honorable, if you ask me....

[Mikeg]

Funny people those Japanese...

They seem so timid and helpful.... but in other ways they are such an enigma.... still haven't fessed up to the atrocities of WWII... their schoolbooks are virtually mum on the subject. ......

Even a week after the peace treaty was signed on the USS Missouri... the Japanese were murdering leftover American POWs [[especially those used for "Mengele" type medical experiments) still found on the Japanese mainland.

Yes the Japanese are a polite and friendly people.... still hiding a dark and foreboding past.... not quite so honorable, if you ask me....

Read the recent book "Unbroken" to get a first-hand account of Japanese atrocities against Allied POWs, it's sickening.

However, to answer the question "Why is there no looting in Japan" following the tsunami, the answer is simple. Looting tends to be a young person's game and the demographics in Japan, particularly in the rural areas and small towns, means that there is a preponderance of the elderly.

[old guy]

There are a few other minor things that keep them honest too, like severe penalties. Not sure about theft, but you can get up to 15 years hard labor for a DUI. You can also get hard time for riding in a vehicle with someone that's intoxicated.
Some of these laws tend to make people more honest.

[firstandten]

Culturally the Japanese couldn't be more different than us westerners. Individualistic acts are frowned upon. Of course being a highly homogeneous society rather than a cultural melting pot makes it easiier to pull off. When you think about it living on a small crowded island the need to be respectful to each other is a must.

Funny we see the lack of looting thru our western eyes and wonder how could it be. I'm sure the japanese acted the only way they knew how.

One of the benefits of them being like that is that for decades there was a job for life culture.

However now with that culture breaking down you are now seeing an increase in suicides.

[Crumbled_pavement]

Of course being a highly homogeneous society rather than a cultural melting pot makes it easiier to pull off.

This is really what I think it is. I'm sure there are many other contributing factors but it helps when a society sees itself as "us" as opposed to how we in this country see society as "us vs. them".

[1KielsonDrive]

"Why is there no looting in Japan?" That's an easy one: They're not colored. Oops, I forgot they're yellow. Could be something else??

[Pam]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhDn2DP2gTk

Video of children looting in Japan! [[And as D-nerd predicted- it's not being called looting.)

[epiphany]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhDn2DP2gTk

Video of children looting in Japan! [[And as D-nerd predicted- it's not being called looting.)

I fail to see how young children volunteers who collect food and distribute it to those who need it would be considered looters. What are you talking about? I also don't see these kids grabbing electronics and alcohol. Did you even watch the freaking video?

These Japanese youth have taken it upon themselves to work for several hours a day as volunteers to support their fellow citizens. You imply that they are looting. Shame on you... It really seems like people in America have no idea about how serious of a disaster this really is.

[Pam]

I fail to see how young children volunteers who collect food and distribute it to those who need it would be considered looters. What are you talking about? I also don't see these kids grabbing electronics and alcohol. Did you even watch the freaking video?

These Japanese youth have taken it upon themselves to work for several hours a day as volunteers to support their fellow citizens. You imply that they are looting. Shame on you... It really seems like people in America have no idea about how serious of a disaster this really is.

Did you read this whole thread? We were discussing what gets called looting and what doesn't. People were accused of "looting" grocery stores after Hurricane Katrina. It means taking things from stores/homes that aren't yours, it is not limited to electronics or alcohol. So technically what those boys in the video were doing was looting, but it wasn't called that. Personally, I don't think it is bad if people are trying to survive in a time of crisis so you can skip the "shame on me" stuff.

[epiphany]

Did you read this whole thread? We were discussing what gets called looting and what doesn't. People were accused of "looting" grocery stores after Hurricane Katrina. It means taking things from stores/homes that aren't yours, it is not limited to electronics or alcohol. So technically what those boys in the video were doing was looting, but it wasn't called that. Personally, I don't think it is bad if people are trying to survive in a time of crisis so you can skip the "shame on me" stuff.

It doesn't even say that they are "taking" anything from anywhere. It says that they are gathering food... and they are in volunteer staff uniform. The fact that such a stupid, irrelevant argument was brought up in the first place is this thread is bothersome... and there was a lot of actual "looting" going on after Katrina, and it had little to do with getting things out of necessity. I'm from down south, I was in the area when it happened, many of my friends stayed in NO during the disaster, I know what happened... and what the news was describing as looting after Katrina was referring mainly to people stealing things from undestructed stores that they did not even need. These kids are basically, from what I can see, gathering food [[without looting or stealing) and delivering it to people [[like elderly people that havent eaten normal meals for days.) So, to compare this type of behavior to what happened during Katrina is ridiculous. This is much, much bigger and to say otherwise is insulting.

[Pam]

It doesn't even say that they are "taking" anything from anywhere. It says that they are gathering food... and they are in volunteer staff uniform. The fact that such a stupid, irrelevant argument was brought up in the first place is this thread is bothersome... and there was a lot of actual "looting" going on after Katrina, and it had little to do with getting things out of necessity. I'm from down south, I was in the area when it happened, many of my friends stayed in NO during the disaster, I know what happened... and what the news was describing as looting after Katrina was referring mainly to people stealing things from undestructed stores that they did not even need. These kids are basically, from what I can see, gathering food [[without looting or stealing) and delivering it to people [[like elderly people that havent eaten normal meals for days.) So, to compare this type of behavior to what happened during Katrina is ridiculous. This is much, much bigger and to say otherwise is insulting.

Read the link Kevgoblue posted above and you will understand what we were talking about.