Japanese national character - Japanese news 1
( ~ July 17 2016 )


counter
This site clarifies Japanese national character based on the facts.
  • Generally speaking Japan is the country whose people "are honest, faithful and extremely mind other persons".
  • The soul of Bushido forms the basis of them. They regard the bullying as shame, and they choose the honesty even if they suffer a loss.
  • Even if you drop your wallet in Japan, it comes back in most cases, but in other words, they are foolishly honest and good-natured.
    According to the Korean newspapers, the number of the forged crime in Japan is one-20th of Korea’s (Korea, Joong-ang Daily News). The number of the fraud is one-10th of Korea’s. (Korea・Cho Gab-je.com), The number of the perjury is one 857th and the number of the calumny is one-1,085th of Korea’s (Korea・Minjok Sinmun).

      data       news
english
link   
Bushido the soul of Japan (Inazo Nitobé)
Made in Japan
Japanese Inventions
The Thought of Shinzo Abe, the Prime Minister of Japan
Why did America drop Atomic Bombs on Japan ?
How to distinguish Japanese from other Orientals
Japanese "Evasion of Korea" (Korea・NAVER)
History of Japan's Northern Territories
Difference between Korean and Japanese (O Sonfa)
Korean textbooks during the period of Japanese rule (Takayuki Harihara)

BASIC DATA


The Constitution of Japan - Japan has no military forces

From the Constitution of Japan

"We, the japanese people, desire peace for all time and are deeply conscious of the high ideals controlling human relationship, and we have determined to preserve our security and existence, trusting in the justice and faith of the peace-loving peoples of the world."

article 9.

  1. Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes.
  2. In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained.
My Opinion
  1. The constitution assumes, "there are no countries which attack Japan because the countries of the world love peace".
  2. Because the constitution prohibits having forces, Japan does not have the armed forces. It is the Self-Defense Forces that respond to the emergency only when some country attacks Japan.
  3. Therefore, Japan can not have aircraft carriers and wide-ranged fighters, because they can strike the foreign countries.
  4. The constitution does not know the reality that the countries such as China, Korea and Russia that are in defiance of international law exist near Japan. Japan is really foolishly honest and good-natured country.
    • China is going to make the South China Sea Chinese territory in defiance of the judgment that the Permanent Court of Arbitration located at The Hague in the Netherlands gave, and is watching a chance to seize Japanese Senkaku Islands by force.
    • In 1945 Russia broke "the Japan and Russia neutrality pact" that did not make war on Japan, and Russia attacked Japan. (Wikipedia)
      After World War II, Russia transferred 500000 Japanese military captives, who were disarmed and surrendered, to the Siberia as work forces in defiance of international law, and a lot of detained people died of the forced labor of the slave. (Wikipedia) However, Japan does not require compensation for damages.
      In addition, Russia broke the secret promise in Yalta Conference that had decided the occupation of south Sakhalin and Kuril Islands (south Karafuto and Chishima Islands), and occupied the islands of so-called Japanese northern territories.
    • South Korea occupied Takeshima using military power in 1952, but Japan could do nothing after World War II. (Wikipedia)
    • North Korea abducted more than 800 Japanese, and uses them for negotiations far from returning most of them

How Asia-Pacific Publics See Each Other,  South Korea's favorable rating is the lowest
 (U.S.・PEW RESEARCH CENTER) (September 2, 2015)

Overall, despite historical and territorial frictions, Asia-Pacific publics tend to view their regional neighbors in a positive light, with Japan judged most favorably.

Japan enjoys a relatively positive image, except in China and South Korea. Eight-in-ten or more Malaysians (84%), Vietnamese (82%), Filipinos (81%) and Australians (80%) express a favorable opinion of Japan. About seven-in-ten Indonesians (71%) agree. Such views are largely unchanged from 2014, except in Malaysia where favorability of Japan increased 9 points since 2014. As a point of comparison, 74% of Americans voice positive sentiments about Japan.

But long-standing historical animosities and recent territorial tensions are evident in Chinese and South Korean views of Japan. Just 12% of Chinese and 25% of South Koreans express favorable views toward Japan. And 53% of Chinese say they have a very unfavorable assessment of Japan.

A majority of people in the Asia-Pacific region who were surveyed, not including the Chinese, have a positive view of China. Public views of China have improved in the past year in the Philippines (+16 points) and India (+10 points). However, the Vietnamese (only 19% favorable) and the Japanese (9%) do not see China in a positive light. In fact, almost half the Japanese (49%) express a very unfavorable view of China. Asia-Pacific views of China are far more positive than the perception held by Americans. In the United States, only 38% have a favorable opinion of China.

South Korea's favorable rating is the lowest of the four Asian nations tested.

There is a 19-percentage-point differential between Aussie men's views of South Korea (71% favorable) and Aussie women's opinions (52%).

My Opinion
  1. Japan's favorable rating is the highest. It never changes that Korea expresses a unfavorable opinion of Japan. Because Korea is the country which is formed by criticizing Japan.
  2. It is natural that the Vietnamese and the Japanese do not see China in a positive light, because they are going to have their territory plundered by China.
  3. Why is South Korea's favorable rating low in Pakistan and India? Why is South Korea's favorable rating low in Aussie women?
  4. It is necessary for the lowest South Korea to make an effort to increase the rating. It is necessary to change national traits.

Japan's favorable rating is the highest. Japanese - "anti-Korea & anti-China", Chinese - "anti-Japan & pro-Korea"
 (Korea・Yonhapnews)  (China・Finance Sina)  (November 8, 2015)

On November 8 South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the result of the questionary survey for 5,600 people of 14 countries including Japan, China, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia and United States.

It became clear that Japanese have the strong tendency of "anti-Korea" & "anti-China" and the Chinese still have the tendency of "anti-Japan". Even if the summit of Japan, China and South Korea was held, national sentiments to the partner countries are not improved yet.

  • 5.8% of Japanese indicated a good feeling about China. 14.0% about Korea.
  • 35.3% of Chinese indicated a good feeling about Japan. 65.8% about Korea.
  • 77.7% of Japanese dislike China, and 41.7% of Chinese dislike Japan.
  • This survey excludes the Korean. There are no investigation about how Korean dislikes China or Japan.
    According to the surveys by "Global view of China" and "BBC World Service POLL",
    56% of Koreans dislike China and , 79% dislike Japan.

The national emotions of three countries are getting worse because of the confrontations around the history and the territory. The Korean diplomatic service explains that the suspicion for Korea is relatively weaker than the ditch of between China and Japan. It points out that Korea can play an important role in promoting a collaborative relationship in the East Asia.

According to the survey, Japan's favorable rating is the highest in 12 countries except Japan and China.

  • "Do you have a good feeling about Japan?"    Yes - 63.7%, No - 7.9%
  • "Do you have a good feeling about Korea?"    Yes - 46.6%, No - 18.4%
  • "Do you have a good feeling about China?"    Yes - 32.9%, No - 29.0%

Chinese news always say that "the sudden rise of China is welcomed in the world". But the people of 14 countries including Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia and the United States do not welcome China so much.

My Opinion
  1. Because Japanese extremely mind the evaluations of other persons, they act so that other persons do not have antipathy to Japanese.
  2. The Chinese act without minding other persons. They tend to be disliked in the foreign countries, because they act in defiance of good manners. Even if you show any evidences or data, China never admits that China is not welcomed in the world. China does not accept any things against Chinese claims. So China does not accept Chinese cyber attacks to USA or the territory problems either.

Freedom House Freedom of the Press & Freedom on the Net 2015
 (U.S.・NGO) 

Freedom of the Press 2015 Freedom on the Net 2015
Freedom on the Net 2015 - COUNTRY SCORE COMPARISON

Safe Cities Index 2015 -  (U.K.・The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)) 

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has ranked 50 of the world's biggest cities, including London, New York and Paris, in terms of personal, health, infrastructural and digital safety.

RankCityCountry
TokyoJapan
SingaporeSingapore
OsakaJapan
11Hong KongChina
13TaipeiTaiwan
24SeoulKorea
30ShanghaiChina
32ShenzhenChina
34TianjinChina
37BeijingChina
38GuangzhouChina

NEWS


Anti-Korea demonstration near Korea consulate general in Osaka
 (Korea・Yonhapnews)  (July 17, 2016)

On July 17, a demonstration was performed near the Korean consulate general in Osaka. It made a demand for expulsion of the Korean residing in Japan and the diplomatic intercourse rupture between Japan and Korea. The oppositions gathered, too and protested the demonstration, and the outskirts were thrown into a commotion for a time.

The person concerned of the citizen's group "active conservative movement" called people to "Big anti-Korea demonstration" on the Internet and carried it out. At about 3:00 p.m. on that day, approximately ten people shouted, "Break with the annoying neighbor" or "Go out, Korean" with the national flags and the sun flags and the loudspeakers in their hands.

On the other hand, the members of the opposition roared with a loudspeaker, "Stop the hate speech" and "Go home the racist".

Both groups booed each other in a loud voice on the sidewalk opposite of the consulate general for approximately one and a half hours, while dozens of police officers on the guard came between two groups.

There was the scene that they struggled and was controlled by the police officers. The tourists and shoppers were embarrassed and left at a quick pace.

It seems the opposition examines a legal action based on the regulations of the city.

My Opinion
  • Most of Japanese are against the Anti-Korea demonstration and hate-speech. In Japan, there are a few Anti-Korea demonstrations and hate-speech and they are not radical. And the demonstration against Anti-Korea demonstration is carried out, too.
  • The anti-Korea demonstration is the unJapanese-like action. It is shame of Japan. It is the same as a Korean baking a Japanese national flag.
  • If you want to criticize something, you should do it against the concrete person and his/her act. You should insist on your position fairly, legally and logically.

  • On the other hand, the radical anti-Japan demonstrations such as baking the Japanese national flag or the photo of Japanese Prime Minister are permitted in Korea. And I have not seen the demonstration objecting to anti-Japan demonstration in Korea. If Koreans carried out such a demonstration, probably they would be killed.
  • I have not seen the Korean government tried to stop anti-Japan education and violent anti-Japan demonstration.
  • Koreans seem to be against Anti-Korea demonstration, but seem to be favorable to anti-Japan demonstration. For Koreans, it's good for Koreans to do Anti-Japan demonstration, but it's no good for Japanese to do the same action.
    It is the same as there are many Korean athletes and singers who work in Japan, but not vice versa. There are a few Japanese athletes and singers who work in Korea. (Japanese songs had been prohibited in Korea until recently.)
    Their action is inconsistent. After all Korea is a country that gives priority to the emotion than the logic or law.
  • Korea should make the anti-hate speech law, too.

The victory of the Korean company which sold "the ferry without enough performance" !
 (Japan・Sankei News)  (July 8, 2016)

On July 5 Nafjay Panama of Niigata prefecture received arbitration over the trouble about the sales contract of the ferry from the Japan Shipping Exchange, Inc. (Tokyo) to pay approximately 1,570,000 dollars (approximately 157 million yen) to the Korean company. The loss are expected to exceed 230 million yen with 620,000 dollars paid in advance last year

The trouble occurred because the ferry "Ohamana" that was assumed to be used in "Business across Sea of Japan", but the performance of the ferry was inferior to the supposed performance.

The sales contract with the Korean company was made in the last August. However, it became clear that ferry had not a necessary speed of 18 knots when it made a cruise in Japan in October. It had a speed of only 11-12 knots. Nafjay Panama refused the receiving of the ferry, and the Korean company demanded payment.

The Japanese company was able to prevent the trouble if it could confirm performance beforehand, but the president Igarashi explained saying "I demanded the examination cruise to the Korean company many times, but it was not realized".

My opinion
  1. The Japanese company should have made the speed of the ferry clear for the contract. The thought of the company is too optimistic.
  2. The Korean company would not have made the examination cruise, because it knew that the ferry had not a speed of 18 knots. They don't mind a trifle. Korea is the country of "Kenchanayo(Never mind)" mind.
  3. This shows the character of the honest and good-natured Japanese.

A lot of crimes by Chinese


A Burglar of Haworthia is caught
 (Japan・Haworthia Society of Japan)  (July 7, 2016)

On July 5, Chinese burglars entered the greenhouse of haworthia breeder in Shizuoka prefecture in Japan and tried to steal 200 of them which costed 12 million yen. One of the burglars was arrested.

The greenhouse has a high fence, but two burglars prepared a ladder and climbed over the fence. The security camera was installed, but they had the black masks on knowing that. As one of the family looked at the monitor screen by chance, they could call the police immediately.

The police officer caught one, but another escaped.


Chinese arrested on a charge of larceny of Haworthia ! Fuji City, Shizuoka
 (Japan・blog)  (April 21, 2016)

The police stations in Fujinomiya arrested a Chinese on the charge of theft and a building invasion. They stole approximately 200 of "haworthia" that was a popular small succulent plant for ornamental use.

Police said, they invaded the plastic greenhouse in Fujinomiya city on August 13, 2015, and stole approximately 200 of "haworthia". The Chinese suspect remains silent. Stolen haworthia is equivalent to 17, 800, 000 yen in total at the current price.

In Fujinomiya city, similar theft cases occurred successively until now. In addition, there were similar theft cases in other prefectures too. The prefectural police considers that there are plural accomplices and the stolen ones were already sold. Most of the Chinese organized crimes have been Cyberfraud or the acquisition of the card information until now. But, it is revealed that they are planning to extend the crimes to others.


Successive thefts of equipments by Chinese tourists
 (China・CHINANEWS)  (December 25, 2015)

A manager of the guest‐house in New Zealand claim that equipments were stolen.

After the manager checked the room which a Chinese tourist checked out of, the manager found one fruit knife, five towels and five pairs of slippers disappeared.

My opinion
  1. There are many unmanned stores selling vegetables at the farm villages in Japan. There are few Japanese who take them without paying money. This shows the character of the honest and good-natured Japanese.
  2. Japanese are defenseless for crimes. For Chinese, Japanese are easy targets.

    ※"China" does not include "Taiwan" and "Hong Kong".
    ※"Foreign visitors" don't include so-called fixation residents.

New Korea Ambassador to Japan said, "Japan-Korea currency swap agreement is for mutual benefit."
 (Korea・Joongang Daily Japanese version)  (July 4, 2016)

Li Jun-gi, new Korean ambassador said to Japanese media, "It's better that we conclude Japan-Korea currency swap agreement again".

On July 2 the ambassador said in the interview by the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, "Because nobody knows when and whom the crisis visits, the agreement will help two countries as crisis response". He also showed Korean will for participation in TPP (Pacific Partnership agreement)

My opinion
  1. Korea has a profit in the agreement, but Japanese side has no profit in it. That is, it is to help Korea. It's not for "mutual benefit"
  2. It is because of the Korean pride that he said so. He cannot say obediently, "Please conclude the currency swap agreement to help Korea".
  3. Japan does not have to conclude the agreement. Japan should never associate with Korea as Soichiro Honda said.
  4. However, Japan may agree to the swap conclusion, because Japanese are foolishly honest and good-natured.

Coach Halilhodžić said, "I have the responsibility of the defeat, but Japanese players are 'foolishly honest'".
 (Japan・FOOTBALLCHANNEL)  (June 7, 2016)

On June 7, the Japanese national team faced the national team of Bosnian and Herzegovina in the Kirin Cup finals.

Japan lost by a reversal while taking an initiative point. Vahid Halilhodžić,the coach of Japanese National Soccer Team talked in the interview after the games, "I think we were not able to get ready well. It is my responsibility."

He praised about the attacks to break the defense of the partner, "There were beautiful actions". However, the commander felt some questions.

"I was very disappointed that our players were 'foolishly honest'". The partner had six players of the 190cm level, but every corner kick and FK became the scoring chance.

Because we were inferior by height, we should have done what we could do such as letting our bodies adhere to the partners in order to prevent the partners from jumping.

He also said, "We got no FK though we attacked so much. There was no play to provoke a foul in the vital area."

"You may think that I say a funny thing, but it's not so. We did not have such a play. I think that our players are 'foolishly honest'. We must be more crafty."

My Opinion
  1. Japanese are foolishly honest. They need impudence of Chinese and deception of the Korean a little. However, it is difficult to go against national traits.

Japanese team gets silver medal at 2008 Beijing Olympic Games? Tsukahara said, "What would they do about that?"
 (Japan・Nikkan Sports)  (U.K.・BBC)  (June 5, 2016)

Jamaica's Usain Bolt could lose one of the three gold medals he won at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Reuters report that the 'A' sample of one of his team-mates in the 4x100m, Nesta Carter, was found to contain the banned substance Methylhexanamine. The team took gold in what was then a new world record of 37.10 seconds, ahead of Trinidad and Tobago and Japan.

Naoki Tsukahara who had been the first runner of Japanese team got angry and said, "To be honest, I am confused. When I heard the news, I thought what they would do about that. Though I am very glad if we get silver medal, we were not the second in eight teams. Gee, I am disappointed at the news."

The coach Tsuchie said severely, too. "Even if we were said later we got silver medal, we would say 'Why?'. Japanese players fight in naivety well, while many countries commit the doping violations." When he was asked "Is the severe disposal to doping a fair wind for Japan?", he answered, "Apart from the fair wind or not, they are cheating. I wanted them to do it in the same starting line properly."

My Opinion
  1. Some players commit the doping violations in most countries including such as Russia, China, the United States, Korea, etc.. However, there is no player to dope in Japan.
  2. The soul of Bushido forms the basis of Japanese. They choose the honesty even if they suffer a loss, but in other words, they are foolishly honest and good-natured.

How did Chinese think "Obama's visiting Hiroshima without apology"?
 (Japan・DIAMOND ONLINE)  (June 3, 2016)

On June 27, President Obama visited Hiroshima, the bombed area. And he sued nuclear abolition with the speech for 17 minutes.

It was whether President Obama would "apologize or not" for having thrown down the A-bombs that the Chinese media paid attention.

If the United States that is the victorious nation apologizes to Japan that is the defeated nation, that may weaken the situation of Japan as "the assailant country", and that may impress people that Japan is "the damaged country".

Obama's speech threw such a message that "Both an assailant and the victim must be forward looking each other".

This is undesirable for China, because China may lose the Chinese diplomacy card which continues making Japan "a criminal of World War II" in future.

So on May 27 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang gave a warning, "it was worthwhile that the victims are sympathized, but the assailant can not evade its responsibility forever".

On the other hand, Sunao Tsuboi, the representative committee of Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations said shaking hands with President Obama, "I do not blame the United States that dropped A-bombs".

Chinese may take Japanese a vague people who shake hands without demanding apology. But you cannot turn up page 1 of the new history forever if not future-oriented.

I feel irritated about why Chinese can not think of Hibakusha, A-bomb victims in Hiroshima who desires peace without apology.

My Opinion
  1. Most of Japanese do not know even the name of the president who gave the order of Atomic Bombings. Japanese including Hibakusha do not demand apology. Because they know the terror of the A-bomb, they only pray for nuclear abolition purely.
  2. However, Chinese who think the loss and gain about anything may not understand the Japanese thinking.

Tokyo Olympics 2020: French prosecutors probe '$2m payment'
 (U.K.・BBC)  (May 16, 2016)

Tokyo delegation members celebrate after being confirmed Olympic hosts in 2013        

French prosecutors are investigating a $2m (£1.4m) payment allegedly made to the son of the ex-world athletics chief and whether it was linked to Tokyo's bid for the 2020 Olympic Games.

Allegations of the sum allegedly paid to a firm linked to the son of Lamine Diack had appeared in the Guardian.

Both Lamine and his son, Papa Massata Diack, already face a corruption inquiry in France.

The Japanese government has insisted its Tokyo bid in 2013 was clean.

In March, French prosecutors had announced that an investigation into corruption in athletics was being widened to include the bidding and voting processes for the hosting of the 2016 and 2020 Olympics.

Black Tidings

The latest development involves 2.8m Singapore dollars allegedly paid to a company based in the city state and linked to Papa Massata Diack.

A statement said the French "National Financial Prosecution service was informed of two financial movements alleged to have been carried out in July and October 2013".

The money was labelled as 'Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Bid', coming from an account opened at a Japanese bank, for the profit of the 'Black Tidings' company in Singapore.

The statement added that payments "so close to the International Olympic Committee's designation of the organising city for the 2020 Olympic Games, important parallel purchases by Black Tidings in Paris", and other related issues had sparked a new inquiry.

Lamine Diack, 82, was formerly the president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and also a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

He left the IOC soon after voting, in 2013, on whether Tokyo, Istanbul or Madrid should host the 2020 games.

He is now banned from leaving France pending the investigations.

Papa Massata Diack is believed to be in Senegal.

Last December, he told the BBC he and his father were innocent of the allegations against them.

Tokyo bid already being looked at

The Tokyo bid first came under scrutiny in January when the second part of a Wada (World Anti-Doping Agency) commission report into corruption included a footnote detailing a conversation between another of Lamine Diack's sons, Khalil, and Turkish officials heading up the Istanbul bid team.

A transcript of the conversation cited in the report suggested a "sponsorship" payment of between $4m and $5m (£2.8m and £3.4m) had been made by the Japanese bid team "either to the Diamond League (the annual series of track and field athletics meetings) or IAAF".

The footnote claims the Istanbul bid "lost Lamine Diack's support because they did not pay". Wada's independent commission said it did not investigate the claims "for it was not within our remit".

A Tokyo 2020 spokeswoman described the note in Wada's report as "beyond our understanding", adding that "Tokyo's bid was about Japan's commitment to address issues around the integrity of sport".

What is the background?

Lamine Diack is already being investigated by French authorities. He was arrested last year on corruption and money laundering charges, over allegations he took payments for deferring sanctions against Russian drugs cheats.

His son Papa Massata, who was employed by his father as a marketing consultant for the IAAF, is also under investigation, and a warrant for his arrest has been issued by Interpol.

Diack Jr has been banned for life by the IAAF.

The IOC overhauled its rules - and regained trust in the integrity of its bidding process - since the 1999 Salt Lake City bribery scandal exposed systematic corruption.

In February, Wada commission chief Dick Pound said he was "fairly certain" the IOC was free of organised corruption, but just a month later the French prosecutors opened their investigation into the bidding processes for 2016 and 2020.

My Opinion
  1. It is not overlooked if true. The Japanese Government should investigate that.
  2. It is unbelievable that some Japanese transfer it by the name of "Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Bid". They are foolishly honest.

Korean A-bomb victims demand "apology and a compensation" to President Obama
 (Korea・Herald Economy)  (May 11, 2016)

While some U. S. media show anxiety that "many Japanese would interpret it as 'apology'" about President Obama's visiting Hiroshima, Koreans who were damaged by A-bomb throwing down to Japan in 1945 demand apology and compensation to the United States.

On the same day, Mr. Sung, the chairperson of association of Korean A-bomb victims said, "We will hold the board of directors and talk about the situation of the church to require to President Obama. We are planning to demand the compensation to him in addition to offering flowers to the Korean memorial service monument at Hiroshima Park and apologizing to Koreans."

My Opinion
  1. This news shows the difference between Korean and Japanese. Neither Korean nor American understands Japanese national traits.
    • Japanese do not demand apology to the United States forcibly. Unlike Koreans, they do not demand compensation.
    • Koreans give priority to the emotion than the logic or law.
      They think that if you negotiate, you can get something and it is loss that you do nothing. You can understand that well, if you look at the acts of Kim dynasty in North Korea.
  2. Why did America drop Atomic Bombs on Japan ?

"Sincerity and trust" in Japanese society
 (China・Sohu)  (April 6, 2016)

The first : "social order supported by sincerity and trust."
In a theme park, nobody goes to the handicapped person's gate that you can pass easily to skimp on a ticket rate. So the theme park does not have a person in charge at the gate.

The second : "food safety supported by sincerity and trust."
You Chinese who worry about stomach ache if you eat sushi and sashimi in Japan ! Congratulations if you get a stomach ache ! You will become very rich.
When you pay more attention to the Chinese food safety problem, you should be concerned about it very much.

The third : "the resident registration system supported by sincerity and trust."
The resident registration in Japan is very easy. If you widen the map that individual houses are written and point the house you live in, it is almost completed. I asked the person in charge, "What would you do if somebody cheated with it?" The person said, "You could not receive the documents such as medical insurance certificates if you did such a thing. Why do you need to cheat?"

The fourth : "sincerity and trust are the creed of the life"
You turn into "insensibility" when you live in Japan for a long term. When I was in a restaurant, I put a wallet on the dining table and went to the restroom. In spite of the wallet being Louis Vuitton or Dunhill.

My Opinion
  1. It is remarkable in Chinese society that people think self-interest as the top priority. It spreads in some companies and the government as well as a personal level.

"Difference between Japanese and Chinese" from the viewpoint of a French teacher
 (China・Sohu)  (April 8, 2016)

France leads the world in the field of fashion, and many foreign students come from all over the world to learn French fashion.

Experiences of a Chinese columnist resident in France:

At a school connected with fashion in Paris, both the most superior teacher and students are Japanese.

About the foreign students who just begin studying in France, in the first year the big differences are not seen in nationality. But in the second year the level of the Japanese students are suddenly improved. Most of the Japanese students throw themselves into studying seriously and the students of other countries cannot imitate that.

French teachers estimate that "Japanese students are quiet, well-behaved and polite, and they don't cheat on the examination". On the other hand, the Chinese students are not often well-mannered. The Chinese sometimes shows the "non-civilization" manner. Some Chinese students open their big mouths in their classes and yawn.

The Chinese students do not get the high evaluation in France. You must not forget that you have a signboard "China" on your back in the foreign countries.

My Opinion
  1. The national traits that have been cultivated for several hundred years are not changed.
  2. Japanese do not yawn in front of a teacher, because they consider that if they yawn there, the teacher will hurt the feeling by that. Chinese do not mind how other persons think about Chinese yawn.

Why did the Kumamoto earthquake give a shock to Chinese people?
 (China・TouTiao.com)  (China・Phoenix blog)  (April 18, 2016)

Li Miao, the chief of Tokyo branch of phoenix TV reported Kumamoto earthquake. She has been living in Japan for 19 years. She appeared in a TV program of Japanese NHK and entered the phoenix TV in 2007.


The earthquake victims received a relief supply forming a line and keeping order in spite of only one rice ball.

How difficult is it to continue keeping order under the situation that they suffer from? Japanese people don't quarrel or bawl out under the situation that aftershocks continue without cease, uneasiness influences people and they cannot receive relief materials enough. Japanese people can create order and keep tranquility even under the very severe situation.

The restroom of the refuge is used very cleanly, and the slippers of the restroom are put properly. I was astonished in well-ordered Japanese. Furthermore, even in the middle of the disaster, classification of the garbage is carried out well.

Li Miao Line Restroom Classification of the garbage
My Opinion
  1. At such time, Chinese people quarrel over the scramble of foods and they bawl out the dissatisfactions. Of course they do not always line up in the row.
  2. Chinese are not thoughtful of others.

"If I bought a lot, other people would starve." … There is no buy-up of food by inhabitants
 (Korea・JoongAng Ilbo)  (April 19, 2016)

  • It was at a convenience store in Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, Kyushu, Japan at 6:00 a.m. on 18th April. Despite before dawn, about ten inhabitants lined up in a shop. This was because they wanted to buy drinking water and the foods such as bread and the rice ball.

    Ms. Yuko Tanaka (38) who was a housewife said, "Without electricity, water and the gas we can not get ready for the meal in my house, and I bought four bottles of mineral water and eight rice balls for four members".

    "Why did you not purchase more foods?" I asked her. "If I bought a lot, other people would not be able to eat breakfast.", she answered. "We were in big trouble until two days ago, because convenience stores and the restaurants closed, but now we are happy." She smiled.

  • In front of Tokai University gymnasium in Minamiaso-mura that suffered big damage, Ichiko Takehara in her 50s was in charge of distribution. She said, "It was very hard to distribute limited foods to 1, 000 people. It was very hard to distribute limited foods to 1,000 people, but we can endure serious time because university students made over their foods to the elderly persons and children".

  • At the junior high school refuge, the inhabitants distributed foods little by little each other and they soothed hunger with rice balls and soba made with the foods. A man in his 70s whose house was destroyed said, "I got a little food, but I am really happy."
My Opinion
  • These are nothing in Japan, but they become the news in Korea.
  • National traits become clear in the difficulty such as the big earthquake. You can understand the difference between Japanese and Korean national traits well.
    1. Japanese do not buy a lot, because they think about other persons. ↔ Koreans buy them up.
    2. Japanese often make over theirs to other persons. ↔ Koreans rarely do so.
    3. When Japanese are in hard time, they endure and thank for having got a little food.  ↔ Koreans often appeal for dissatisfaction in a loud voice emotionally.

"No sense of affinity" for China 83% = renews the historical high - Japanese Cabinet Office
 (Japan・Mainichi Japan)  (March 12, 2016)

Public opinion poll about diplomacy in 2014 (Japanese Cabinet Office)

The aggravation of Japanese feelings for China lasts after 2012. The artificial island creation by China in the South China Sea and the confrontation by China and Japan about Senkaku Islands are in the background.

My Opinion
  1. Many Chinese people come to Japan now, and Japanese came to understand Chinese national traits.

Tohoku PR event in Korea cancelled
 (Japan・Asahi Shimbun Digital)  (February 20, 2016)

The PR event that Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs was going to hold in commercial facilities in Wangsimni Station in Seoul in Korea on February 20th and 21st to wipe out the damage by rumors by the East Japan great earthquake disaster was called off. Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to sponsor announced it on February 20th. Seoul City Song-dong-gu did not permit the event.

A citizen group in Korea had claimed, "Cancel the event of the radioactive contamination foods in Fukushima promptly!". Seoul City Song-dong-gu might have considered such a repulsion.

My Opinion
  1. The cancellation on that day is really Korea. Korea should cancel it earlier if Korea cancel it.
  2. Whether foods are polluted by radioactivity is easy to understand immediately if you check them. It is illogical to cancel the event without checking it.
  3. You can understand that foods are not polluted by radioactivity if you check them. In other words the reason of the cancellation is "Anti-Japan".
  4. To begin with, Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs that planned to hold the event in Korea is thoughtless. Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs that does not protest Korea is foolishly honest and good-natured. Japan should not associate deeply with Korea as Soichiro Honda said.

Why does not Japan say the nuclear armament?
 (Korea・The Hankyoreh)  (February 19, 2016)

After the fourth nuclear test in North Korea, the reckless nuclear armament idea is a subject of a heated debate in the conservative in South Korea. But Japan is quiet unlike Korea. Japan does not give a special reaction to the nuclear armament in Korea either. Why?

In 2006 and 2009 when North Korea had the nuclear tests, Shoichi Nakagawa (died in 2009) who was a former Japanese Diet member and a member of Liberal Democratic Party woke an argument. He said, "Only nuclear weapon stands up to nuclear weapon." However, the current Abe Administration keeps silent.

Japan is considered to have ability that can make a nuclear weapon within from six months to one year if determined. Some Korean say, because Japanese ability is enough, Japan has not to wake up an uproar by useless words, and this is the highly well-thought reaction.

My Opinion
  1. This is right the Korean way of thinking. They are not going to think logically in the Japanese situation.
  2. If a Japanese minister advocates a nuclear armament, the minister has to resign immediately. Even a Diet member receives big criticism. Even if they think Japan should have the nuclear armament, they can not say so. Korean cannot think about that.

JAL is the World’s Best Airline for On-time Flights
 (U.S.・FlightStats Inc.)  (January, 2016)

Japan Airlines (JAL) is the world’s best airline for its on-time performance service, according to FlightStats Inc., an independent aviation performance-tracking company, which today presented JAL with its Major International Airlines On-time Performance Service Award for 2015.

JAL achieved on-time arrival rate of 89.44% for its domestic and international flights in 2015, and has been ranked highest for on-time performance service in the Major International Airlines category for the fifth times, since FlightStats launched these awards in 2009. Additionally, JAL has been named the most on-time carrier in the Asia-Pacific Major Airlines category.

My Opinion
  1. You can see that Japanese people have a methodical personality in comparison to international tourists.

Korean deputy prime minister said, "We do not oppose the swap agreement if Japan offers that to us." and he denied Korean had offered that.
 (Korea・Yonhapnews)  (January 14, 2016)

On January 14, Yu Ilho Korean deputy prime minister said, "We are not in the situation that must propel a Japan-Korea currency swap agreement right now." And he also said, "We do not oppose the swap agreement if Japan offers that to us."

This is the reaction to Japanese report that Japanese Sankei Shimbun said "if the Korean government offers the currency swap agreement formally, Japanese Government is going to agree to it again".


(U.S.・Bloomberg)

The agreement means that a country with the economic power supports neighbor countries. Hirokazu Hiratsuka, director of Asia Research Department of the Mizuho Research Institute says, "From a viewpoint of the confidence of currency and foreign exchange reserves, Japanese yen has the high convertibility than Korean won, and the situation is that Japan supports Korea and Korea is supported."

My Opinion
  1. Though Korean side said they did not need the swap agreement, Korean business society says they need it again now. 1 year has not passed. They are too self-serving. How dare they say such a thing!
  2. Korea has a profit in the agreement, but Japanese side has no profit in it. That is, it is to help Korea. So it is most unlikely for Japan to offer re-conclusion of the agreement that the Korean deputy prime minister said.
    It is because of the Korean pride that he said so. Japan should never associate with Korea as Soichiro Honda said.
  3. However, Japan may agree to the swap conclusion, because Japanese are foolishly honest and good-natured.

A French tells "How to distinguish between Chinese and Japanese".
 (China・Duowei News)  (January 5, 2016)

My French friend who likes culture of China and Japan said, "When I see a Asian walking a downtown in Paris, I can distinguish between Chinese and Japanese even if the Asian is speaking nothing". I was very embarrassed and ashamed to hear the reason.

He says there are three ways.

At first, The difference in the clothes and the looking. The Japanese do the elegant manner. On the contrary, the Chinese wear slovenly even if they wear the suits. The Japanese dress even the clothes of the non-brand well cleanly, and mind the hairstyle too. The Chinese like wearing the suits, but their posture is slovenly and they are unconcerned about hairstyle and appearance.

Second Japanese is polite and have humility and talk in a low voice. The Chinese sit down and relax anywhere, vomit a sputum on the way, and speak like thunder sounds. The Japanese give way to each other in the streets and have perseverance patiently waiting a red light. The Chinese lack in the concept called mutual concessions and walk to compete. When Chinese are tired, they lie down anywhere, take off a tie, roll up the hem of pants, occupy the passage and talk loudly. They behave to selfishness as if only they existed in the world.

Third the Japanese appreciate art slowly and carefully at a famous place and respect cultural environment. The Chinese leave quickly after they finish taking a photograph without minding artistic quality. The Japanese understand appreciation of the art. But only visiting is important for Chinese and they are not interested in artistic value.

Conclusion:
"The lifestyle" is related to not only personal conduct and personality, but also the human race and the national image. In particular, the good custom of one person raises the reputation of the nation and the human race of the person. The bad custom of one person sometimes injure the reputation of that.
My Opinion
  1. The national traits that have been cultivated for several hundred years are not changed.

"Stake terrorism to the girl statue" - Trial of Japanese extreme right continues for three years
 (Korea・Yonhapnews)  (January 11, 2016)

The trial of Japanese extreme right Nobuyuki Suzuki indicted without arrest in February, 2013 has been performed for three years. This is because Suzuki does not accept a judicial summons in Korea. He nailed the stake that wrote "Takeshima (Tok-do) is a territory of Japan" beside the statue of comfort woman in front of the Japanese Embassy in Korea.

The Seoul central district court holds the seventh trial of Suzuki on January 15.

This trial is held for the first time in 1 and half year after the sixth trial of June 30, 2014.

However, Korea cannot punish him through a trial even if Korea repeats to say many times that he does wild remarks and barbaric acts unless he sets foot on the Korean ground because Japanese Government is uncooperative.

He sent a statue of girl to insult a comfort women victims and a stake that wrote "Takeshima is Japanese territory" written in Japanese to "House of Sharing" and "Korean Council for comfort women" on May 19, last year.

He is also suspected of setting the stake that wrote "Takeshima is a territory of Japan" beside "Ardent patriotism monument of Loyal retainer Yun Bong-gil" in Japan, and having insulted Yoon righteous person with "terrorist" in September, 2012.

He ran for the Upper House election of Japan in 2013, but lost.

※Yun Bong-gil … He set off a bomb that killed several Japanese dignitaries and injured many people in Shanghai in 1932.

My Opinion
  1. The action of Suzuki is the same as the Korean who picked a bomb with Yasukuni shrine. It is not the action like the Japanese.
Korean Japanese
The Korean government accepts the setting of the statue of comfort woman in front of Japanese Embassy in Korea even if it violates Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations Article 22-2.
(The article says "The receiving State is under a special duty to take all appropriate steps to protect the premises of the mission against any intrusion or damage and to prevent any disturbance of the peace of the mission or impairment of its dignity.")
The Japanese does nothing in front of the Korean embassy in Japan.
Korean who picked a bomb with a shrine in Japan is a hero and is respected in Korea. The Japanese who nailed a stake beside statue of comfort women is looked down on.
Korean emotionally labels all the thing against their opinion as "irresponsible remark". Japanese tries to argue the thing unlike their opinion logically.
Korean sues anything against their opinion for libel and an insult. Japanese respects freedom of expression, and treats the libel carefully.
Korean who did terrorism for the Japanese is a hero and is respected. The terrorist is looked down on.
There cannot be the Japanese monument in Korea. Japanese permits the Korean monument of the Korean terrorist in Japan.
On July 9, 2012, the light truck which a Korean man drove broke into the Japanese Embassy in Korea. The Japanese truck does not break into the Korean embassy in Japan.

Why does Taiwanese not have anti-Japan sentiment ?
 (China・Wanhuajing)  (January 1, 2016)

In Taiwan where an epidemic was ungoverned in those days, the rule by Japan restrained epidemics such as malaria or cholera and improved the public hygiene. Japan solved the problems in only approximately ten years. It was impossible for the Qing dynasty to solve them.

In addition, the Japanese police protected law strictly and did administration without the corruption to maintain the peace and order. It was also impossible for the Qing dynasty to do so.

Furthermore, Japan performed "agriculture reform" in Taiwan. Specifically, they are selective breeding, fertilization, mothproofing, the setting of irrigation facilities and the work system which were consistent from production to processing. As a result of this full-scale agriculture reform, the Taiwanese people obtained a big profit.

Taito in the Japanese colonial days 

My Opinion
  1. There seem to be many Taiwanese longing for the Japan times, because the politics of Kuomintang that fled into Taiwan from mainland China after defeat of Japan was terrible too.
  2. The Korean is anti-Japan unlike Taiwanese, though Japan ruled Korea same as Taiwan.
    The Korean cannot accurately evaluate the rule by Japan in spite of having been modernized by Japan, because Korean thinks that they are superior than Japanese.

South Korea, Japan reach settlement on wartime Korean sex slaves
 (U.S.・WASHINGTON POST)  (December 28, 2015)

TOKYO ? Japan and South Korea said Monday they had “finally and irreversibly” resolved a dispute over wartime sex slaves that has bedeviled relations between the two countries for decades.

In something of a surprise development, the two countries’ foreign ministers met in Seoul to finalize a deal that will see Japan put $8.3 million into a South Korean fund to support the 46 surviving “comfort women” and to help them recover their “honor and dignity” and heal their “psychological wounds.”

The move was welcomed in Washington, which has been both concerned and annoyed by the fighting between its two closest allies in Asia. This year marks seven decades since the end of World War II and the end of the Japanese occupation of the Korean peninsula.

Independent historians have concluded that as many as 200,000 women and girls ? from occupied countries including Korea, China, the Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations ? were coerced by the Japanese Imperial Army to work as sex slaves during the war.

“We made a final and irreversible solution at this 70th anniversary milestone,” Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe told reporters in Tokyo after speaking to his South Korean counterpart, President Park Geun-hye, on the phone.

Earlier, in Seoul, his foreign minister had said Abe “expresses anew his most sincere apologies and remorse to all the women who underwent immeasurable and painful experiences.”

“I feel we’ve fulfilled the responsibility of the generation living now,” Abe said after his call with Park. “I’d like this to be a trigger for Japan and South Korea to cooperate and open a new era.”

In Seoul, Park said it was “especially meaningful” to reach the agreement before the end of 2015, the 50th anniversary of normalized relations between Japan and South Korea.

“The most important thing is for Japan to diligently and promptly implement what has been agreed to restore comfort women victims’ honor and dignity and heal their wounded hearts,” Park said, according to the Yonhap News Agency, after meeting with Fumio Kishida, Japan’s foreign minister.

Seoul nonetheless promised this would be the end of the dispute ? which has been officially “resolved” before ? if Japan fulfills its side of the agreement. It comes less than two months after the two leaders held their first summit , and after the resolution of a high-profile court case, with a Japanese journalist this month acquitted of defaming Park.

Tokyo had considered the dispute to have been formally resolved in 1965, when it normalized relations with South Korea and offered $800 million in compensation in 1965 for its colonial-era brutality.

My Opinion
  1. What was the treaty between Japan and Korea in 1965 ???
    When Japan tried to conclude "Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea" in 1965, Japan suggested repaying it individually subject to the document presentation such as person of commandeering lists from the Korean side. Japan tried to examine the presentation documents of the Korean government individually and to pay what Japan should pay as compensation for the individuals, and Japan wanted to connect it with the future friendly relationship. The measure of the Japanese Government adapted to a law sincerely.
    However, the Korean government refused the Japanese suggestion. They insisted "as Korean Government will perform the compensation to individuals, we want Japanese Government to pay those compensation money to Korean Government in a lump". The Japanese Government paid free 300 million dollars, charged 200 million dollars and private loan 300 million dollars under the name of "money of independent celebration" according to the demand of the partner.
    For a law theory Japan was able to request the infrastructure maintenance expense that Japan had cast in the past as the Netherlands performed it for Indonesia, but the then Japanese Government abandoned all right to claim for Korea. By the treaty Japan paid money more than twice the national budget of the then Korean government, and Japan donated the modern infrastructure that Japan made and maintained using vast money in the Korean Peninsula. That helped rapid development of Korea very much.
  2. Japanese think they can solve problems by apologizing. But that is the foolishly good-natured thinking.
  3. Anti-Japan is one of Korean identity. So if the President is replaced, this problem is more likely to be taken again.
  4. Because Korean can easily milk Japan and make a diplomacy card to Japan by taking up the colonization in Korea, it is not thought that Korea easily abandons it.

A student wrote in discrimination against Gamba Osaka FW at SNS. The high school he goes to announces the apology.
 (Japan・Football channel)  (November 30, 2015)

Patrick in Gamba Osaka【photograph::Getty Images】

It became clear that the student who went to the high school in Saitama wrote a discriminatory remark on SNS against FW Patrick in Gamba Osaka.

According to the release of the apology that the school placed on the homepage, the student who wrote the discriminatory remark reported that to the school with his protector.

The school said, "We sincerely apologize to Patrick and his family, members of Gamba Osaka and Urawa red diamond, members of J League and all who felt unpleasant by the note to Twitter. And we will guide students to prevent the recurrence.




My Opinion
  1. It is natural that the protectors apologize, but the high school does not matter. It is Japanese-style that the school apologizes.
  2. In other words, school has no responsibility for students' behavior out of the school legally and morally. It is a characteristic of Japanese that treats the school like a protector. School is a family in Japan. When someone causes a crime out of his or her company, the company apologizes too in Japan. The company is thought like a family.

IAEA found uranium enrichment technology in Korea in 2004. The technology leaked from Japan. 
(Mainichi Shimbun)  (November 4, 2015)

It was revealed that when the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had inspected Korean confidential uranium enrichment experiment facilities in the summer of 2004, IAEA had confiscated the documents about the patent of the enrichment technology that Japan had developed. Olli Heinonen who was the former Deputy Director-General and acted as the person in charge of the nuclear verification section in IAEA clarified that. The instruments based on this patent was found by the inspection too.

In major Western countries, information disclosure of the technique to lead to nuclear weapon development is limited, but, in Japan, detailed technical information is shown by patent application. It was revealed that the nuclear technique that could be converted into military affairs was used in other countries by deficiency of the Japanese patent system for the first time.

According to Heinonen, when IAEA inspected "Korean Atomic Energy Research Institute" in Daejeon of the central part of Korea, they found the Japanese enrichment technology information. It was the documents about the patents of the techniques called "the laser enrichment method" that was developed by "the laser enrichment technology research association" established by the Japanese electricity companies in 1987. In addition, IAEA confirmed the core instruments of this patent by the inspection.

When a country performs an experiment to use the nuclear material including uranium, it is necessary to tell IAEA beforehand, but Korea neglected this and reported it in August, 2004. The confidential experiment was clarified by the inspection of IAEA.

My Opinion
  1. This shows the character of foolishly honest and good-natured Japanese. Naturally the Korea that stole Japanese technology is bad, but it is the natural act for Koreans. The Japanese must know that people in the world including a Korean are different from Japanese.

"Let's conclude the agreement of 'Japan-Korea Central bank liquidity swap' again!" - Korean Media  
(Korea・Herald Economy)  (Korea・Chosun Ilbo)  (Korea・Joongang Daily)  (Korea・The Hankyoreh)  (October 26, 2015)

On October 26, the regular meeting of Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) and Korean businessmen society was held. The economic world of two countries agreed to cooperate for the improvement of the politics and diplomatic relations between two countries. And they agreed to promote the economic cooperation plans such as young people-to-people exchange, the re-conclusion of central bank liquidity swap, etc..


【Commentary】 The Korean newspapers wrote both sides hoped for the re-conclusion of the agreement. But actually Korean Chairperson demanded the re-conclusion of the agreement that had been finished in this February. There is a Korean sense of impending crisis to suffer the slump of the growth rate in the background. The Korean economy receives a big blow, because the export competitiveness is declining by the strong Won and the Korea economy depends on the export for China.

Japan and Korea concluded a swap agreement in 2001. They enlarged the flexibility frames to 70 billion dollars in response to the debt crisis in Europe in 2011. However, they reduced to 13 billion dollars in 2014. In 2015, Korean side said they did not need the extension, and the swap agreement was finished in this February. Korea has a profit in the agreement, but Japanese side has no profit in it. That is, it is to help Korea.

My Opinion
  1. Though Korean side said they did not need the swap agreement, they say they need it again. 1 year has not passed. They are too self-serving. How dare they say such a thing!
  2. It is because of the Korean pride that Korean newspaper wrote that both wanted that. Japan should never associate with Korea as Soichiro Honda said.
  3. However, Japan may agree to the swap conclusion, because Japanese are foolishly honest and good-natured.

Why Are Little Kids in Japan So Independent?  (The Atlantic's CityLab) (October 1, 2015)

Japanese kids can run errands around town and take public transportation free of supervision. It's thanks to the country's incredible infrastructure and culture of safety.

Broadly speaking, in Japan, folks generally assume they can depend on others. (Japan's rock bottom crime rates back this up. ) This mindset infiltrates so many aspects of Japanese life, with its infrastructure as one of the best examples. It's one of the reasons kids as young as six navigate the human-filled labyrinth of Tokyo solo.

The trains are spotless, on time, and safe. A respect for others and an attention to detail give Japan's public transportation the best customer service on Earth. Engineering is concerned with the greater good: Japan's world-famous bullet train, for example, sees an average delay of 36 seconds. Plus, it's so safe that zero people were killed or injured while 27 trains were in operation during the 2011 earthquake. Part of why Japanese parents let their kids go it alone is a desire to instill a sense of responsibility, but it's also because the country is run in such a way that it makes parents feel comfortable enough to do so.

Of course, the full reason why little kids can bop around alone in Japan is incredibly complex, with tons of cultural forces that can be explained and examined. But Japan's remarkably maintained infrastructure is a big part of it. Public transportation has been made a top priority in the densely packed archipelago—something many other countries could learn from.


It's the fruit of the moral education. The Japanese do not pocket lost articles.
 (China・People network Japanese edition)  (March 13, 2013)

When Japanese talk about the peace and order of Japan, they boast and say "We do not close the entrance at night. We do not pocket a lost article which we picked up on a road". Generally speaking, even if you drop and lose something in Japan, they do not carry it away and steal it. Most of Japanese are not interested in a lost article of other persons, and far from stealing it, they send it to a police box or the lost article checkroom directly. A reporter of "Life Times" in China wrote that.

One day in 2005, the reporter dropped a wallet carelessly at an Immigration Bureau in Japan. He noticed on the way home and he came back to the Bureau, but he could not find it. However, in the next day he received the news that his wallet was found from the police box. According to the police officer, a man found it at the Bureau on the day before, and brought it to the police box. When he checked the wallet, nothing was changed in it at all. He asked the police officer the phone number of the person of conscience and expressed his thanks on the telephone. He told the person that he wanted to hand the reward, but the person declined it rigidly.

According to the Japanese "Lost Goods Law", the lost article is kept in the police for three months. When the owner does not appear for 3 months, it belongs to the person who picked it up, but it is necessary for the police to show the information of the lost article online. If you make the lost article yours without bringing it to the police, you will be punished by imprisonment with work for not more than 1 year or a fine of not more than 100, 000 yen. If the lost article returns to the owner, the owner has to hand a reward to the person who picked it up.

The Japanese children receive moral education at the kindergarten. The teachers tell them emphatically and repeatedly, "You must not take the thing which is not yours. You must bring anything that you pick up to a police box without making it yours." In addition, the Japanese think about the money that you can't know the owner with "very dangerous thing" or "things inviting the evil". The Japanese have such a consciousness about a lost article of another person and bring it to the lost article checkroom or the police box without pocketing it.

My Opinion
  1. It is not because Japanese learn moral in the kindergarten that Japanese do not pocket lost articles.
    The writer says "It's the fruit of the moral education", but I don't think so. If so, any country would be the same as Japan, because moral is taught at any school.
    No matter how much you teach morality at school, children do not adhere to moral principles same as adults, if the way of thinking of adults including parents is not moral.
    Therefore, no matter how you tell children that "you must not pocket a lost article", it will be of no effect if the adults do not change.
  2. It is the mental culture that Japanese thoughts are preoccupied with that Japanese do not pocket a lost article. Therefore, it needs long time that such a culture grows up.

Tokyo Olympic Games emblem cancelled   (Sponichi Annex) (September 1, 2015)

It has been pointed out that the formal emblem of the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020 resembles the logo of the Belgian theater. The Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee held the adjustment meeting to make with the affiliates top of the Olympic Games on the afternoon of September 1. It formally decided to cancel the use of the emblem Mr. Kenjiro Sano (43) had designed.

In the interview held after the meeting, Secretary-General Toshiro Muto explained about emblem use cancellation decision and said,
"After the last interview on August 28, it was pointed out that there was a logo similar to the first plan. It was totally different situations for us."

He talked about the opinion of the design examination committee,
"Kazumasa Nagai in the design examination committee said that this was not imitation from the viewpoint of design, but unfortunately it was difficult to get the understanding of people."

"We had a proposal from Sano. He said, 'I want to withdraw my suggestion because it is not accepted by people now and it will be a bad influence on the Tokyo Olympic Games'. In response to the proposal, we talked with the design examination committee and decided to cancel the use of the emblem."

The problems over the design of Sano announced on July 24 appeared one after another. Olivier Debie who is the designer of the Belgian theater logo filed a suit to prohibit the use of the emblem, the photographs of the utilization examples of the emblem which Sano submitted were converted into from the individual sites in the Internet and the original design of Sano resembles a part of the poster of a exhibition, etc..

  My Opinion
  1. I have an impression that the winner was decided to be Sano from the beginning.
  2. You can see "sweetheart deal" in Japanese society in the issue of National Stadium constructor choice without the bid and this emblem problem.
  3. It is same as the Pacific War you can not know the person in charge who should take responsibility.

Unmanned Stores

  1. Unmanned stores are honor-system sheds where farmers sell their surplus produce. There are not such stores in other countries except Japan.
    Nobody sees whether you really pay it. It can be managed by each other's trust.

TheJapanChannelDcom

  My Opinion
  1. This shows the character of the honest and good-natured Japanese.
  2. The unmanned stores show a Japanese good point, but they may promote a crime.
  3. If you want to buy something, you want somebody to confirm that you pay money properly.

"TV tackle" of Takeshi Kitano (March 23, 2015)

  1. In a Japanese TV program, the issue of dominium of "Takeshima"(Tokdo) was discussed.
  2. a href="http://ameblo.jp/hyunki/" target="_blank">Kim HyunKi, a Korean comedian said,
    "It is Korea territory because I have learned that since I was small.", "because there is no Korean who does not know that." and "because there is the song called 'Tokdo'."
    In other words the Korean insistence is "because it is the Korean territory, it is Korean territory". Their explanation does not explain anything. It does not make sense.
  3. Tsuneyasu Takeda of the Japanese cast explained the historic reason and said,
    "In 1953 Korean government one-sidedly occupied the island by use of armed force. It was Japanese territory till then."
  My Opinion
  1. The Korean explanation is quite characteristic of Korean. They do not notice that it does not make sense. The Japanese should know that emotion is the first for Korean.
  2. The Japanese claim has the advantage if you look objectively, but the general Japanese do not know the reason the island is Japanese territory. There are many who do not know "the issue of Takeshima" either.
  3. When Korea occupied the island by military power, Japan did nothing except just criticizing that.
  4. Korean students are thoroughly taught that it is Korean territory in Korea, but Japanese students are not taught a lot at school. That shows the character of the good-natured Japanese.
    You can understand difference between Korean character and Japanese character well through this.

<KANTO GAKUIN HIGH SCHOOL>36 boys shoplifted in convenience stores(March 10, 2015)

  1. Kanto Gakuin Senior High School (Yokohama-city) announced that 36 boy student of the first grader had shoplifted at the convenience stores in the city.
    The total damage amounts to approximately 300, 000 yen. Students accompanied by protectors and teachers visited the shops and apologized.
    The school did disposals to instruct their style of living while attending school. So the shops did not report damages to the police.
  2. According to the school, four boys of the first grader shoplifted at a convenience store in the city on February 5 and escaped. They were identified as the students of the school from the uniform, and the shop reported that to the school.
    When the school continued investigating that, it was recognized that 36 students including the four stole confectionery, stationery and shirts in convenience stores or the sports outfitter in the city.
    School said, "all the members talked, 'because I wanted it, I did it.' But their acts were not organized."
    The principal Takashi Tomiyama commented, "we will carry out student instruction thoroughly so that such a thing never happened".
  My opinion
  1. When a student did a crime out of school, the school investigates it and apologizes in Japan. In the other countries, the school does not take the responsibility for students' acts out of the school.
  2. Of course schools are irresponsible for students crimes legally, but they are really considered to be responsible for the students acts. The schools educate students with every aspects of them and are going to take responsibility in Japan.
    I don't know well whether it is bad or good. This is vague Japanese character.

Korean Mayor of Seoul clings to the technology of Tokyo(February 13, 2015) (Yahoo news)

Korean Mayor of Seoul Park visited Japan and Tokyo and Seoul City concluded the statement of "mutual agreement of the technical cooperation about road cave-in" on February 2nd.
  The contents are that both sides give a technique for the security of the city each other.
  Tokyo held out a helping hand to the Seoul city where a road cave-in became the social problem.
  The check and repair technology of road in Japan advances in comparison with Korea more than 20 years.
  Mutual cooperation may become nominal and it will become the "one way" support by Tokyo.
  • Road Cave-in in Seoul, more than 100 times of Tokyo
    Road cave-in in Seoul City was 435 cases in 2010, 854 cases in 2013 and 568 cases in 2014(from January to July).
    There was the accident that a car running in Seoul City fell into a cave-in of approximately 1 meter in depth last August.
    The traffic accidents by the road cave-in are more than 2000 in the past 10 years, and it becomes a big social problem in Korea.
    On the other hand, as a result of having pushed forward the action that Tokyo prevented cave-ins, cave-in accidents became less than ten a year.
  • The Korean editorial complained to Japan, "Japan won't teach the technology."
    The Seoul city requested the Japanese research company "Geo-search" for cooperation last autumn. The company has a high technique in underground cavity survey.
     41 places of undiscovered basement cavities were discovered in only 4 days investigation, when the company investigated roads of the neighborhood of Korean main subway stations gratis in last December.
    "Geo-search" submitted the report which showed priority of the cavity distribution and repair on the map.
    The Korean "Chosun Ilbo" complained "the Japanese company did not tell us for a reason to be a secret about the analysis technique of accurate size and the risk".
  • Korean Mayor of Seoul clings to the sister city Tokyo
    As a result, Seoul City clung to the sister city Tokyo.
    According to the statement of mutual agreement, Tokyo gives the technique of cavities cause grasp, underground investigation method and the development of the correspondence manual and Tokyo gives a technique about an emergency measure and the restoration method.
    On the other hand, Seoul city gives a technique to transmit the information of the road cave-in by an IT technique in real time. but the Korean technique is not necessary for Tokyo.
    A newspaper reporter asked Governor of Tokyo Masuzoe a question. "It is mutual cooperation, but is there anything Tokyo learns from Seoul?" He answered "our know-how about road cave-in is ahead of Korea", but he could not answer the question well.
    After Mayor Park finished inspection, he said "we would improve security in both cities of Seoul and Tokyo".
    We do not intend to deny importance of the security of the city, but the Korean expects to "catch a sea bream by using prawns".
My Opinion
  1. Tokyo saved face of Korea and took form called "the mutual cooperation".
    The Korean paper complains as if it is natural that Japan teach the technology.
  2. Though nothing is good for Tokyo, why does Tokyo do "only Korea profits" ?
    I think this is because Tokyo avoided that a Korean complained. Tokyo is just good-natured.
  3. The Mayor of Seoul will say "I concluded the statement of mutual agreement because Tokyo wanted it by all means"?

Japanese Hostages' Murder Uploaded Online(February 1, 2015)

  1. On January 24, the radical Islamic extremist group (Islam nation, IS) uploaded a video in which they executed the man they held hostage, Haruka Yukawa.
  2. On February the 1st, IS uploaded a video in which they executed another hostage, Goto Kenji.
    Goto entered the IS controlled area to help Yukawa. He did a focus in the "war, dispute" "refugees" "poverty" "AIDS" "education of children", and turned the camera towards children who lived in difficult environment and he reported them on all parts of the world.
  3. The wife of Goto announced the statement, "I remain extremely proud of my husband".
  My opinion
  1. It has ended with very sorrowful results. IS seemed to have only killing in their heads from the beginning. It may be one cause of the killings that the prime minister did a speech "we support 200 million dollars to neighbor countries in conflict with IS". I think that they killed hostages even if there was no speech.
    However, it is certain that you should always be careful in your speech.
  2. Mr. Goto is an admirable person thinking about weak people. He is the samurai who entered IS at the risk of death to help Yukawa. The wife of Goto is a wife of the samurai too, who bears sorrow and tries to preserve her aplomb.
  3. A Korean net user said, "If she had been a Korean, she would have wailed and complained to the President 'apologize!' and the whole country would have been thrown into a great uproar". This is the action that a Japanese seems to really do.

Anti-Korea demonstration (October 26, 2014)

  1. On October 7 2014, Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the number of "anti-Korea demonstrations in Japan".
    There were 22 cases in 2010, 89 cases in 2011, 310 cases in 2012, 319 in 2013 and 181 cases in the end of July in 2014.  It shows an increase tendency.
Anti-Korea demonstration Graffiti against anti-Korea demonstration
  My opinion
  1. This is because Japanese have learned to know Korean national traits that is the Korean non-democratic and non-logical characteristics and violent anti-Japan demonstrations through various incidents that occured in Korea.
  2. The anti-Korea demonstrations are vulgar. It is not violent unlike China and Korea, but it becomes same as China and Korea which Japan criticizes.
    This is not Japanese behavior. Japanese should argue logically like Japanese.

Punctuality, Manufacturing & Business

  1. They may be too scrupulous. The means of transportation such as a train travel just on time.
  2. They value the tradition. They respect the old established shops. They stick to the details. They always try to work scrupulously and precisely.

Honesty & faithfulness

  1. According to the statistics in 2013 of the Metropolitan Police Department, the reported lost wallets were 339, 536 and the reported found wallets were 301, 687.
  2. As for precious metals, the lost were 11, 344 and the found were 63, 316. That means many people who lost noble metals do not notice that they lost them or they gave them up, but the people who discovered them reported them to the police.
  My opinion
  1. This shows how Japanese are honest, and faithful.
  2. In Japan the wallet you lost often returns to you. That is one of the cases the international tourists are surprised at in Japan.

Religion

  1. Japanese think most of them are Buddhists basically and they perform events of the Buddhism.
  2. They pray at the Shinto shrine at the time of New Year holidays and the festival.
  3. There are few Christians, but many Japanese hold the wedding ceremony at "a church for marriage", and they celebrate Christmas and Valentine's Day. You may think that it is a silly practice, but on Christmas they have parties and go on a spree without going to church and enjoy an atmosphere, and on Valentine's Day women give men chocolates in Japan.
Buddhism    Shintoism    Christianity
     
  My opinion
  1. You may think it's strange that Japanese who think closely and respect accuracy seem to be irresponsible about the religion. But you are not right. Japanese who respect closeness cannot be irresponsible only about religion.
  2. Japanese ways of thinking about the religion are different. They look like Buddhists but are not real Buddhists. They look like believers of Shintoism but are not so. Of course they are not Christians even if they hold wedding ceremonies at a church. As Mr. Shichihei Yamamoto says, "though the Japanese do not notice the truth, they are believers of 'Japanese religion'". "Japanese religion" is not systematic religion. They do not mind to participate in the superficial ceremonies and events of any religion.

Self-expression, Apologize

  1. They don't speak their thinking positively. They are soft-hearted. They often suffer a loss.
    They don't want to quarrel by denying the opinion of other person. Before they give their opinion, they think how a partner thinks about that.
    So they are sometimes misunderstood that you can not understand what they think about.
  2. If a trouble happens, they often apologize immediately. Because they don't want quarrel.
    For example, when cars clash with each other, both sides apologize at first, and the negotiation begins after that.
    When they talk to a stranger, they start with "I'm sorry, but -------".
    So they sometimes suffer a loss.
  My Opinion
  1. Chinese never apologize. Chinese think that it is your defeat if you apologize. Korean is approximately similar to Chinese. Generally, there are many nations not to easily apologize to. Japanese think they can solve problems by apologizing each other.
    However, Japanese don't know to apologize means to accept their responsibility in other countries.
    Japanese don't know you must compensate the damage if you apologize in an automobile accident.
  2. The Japanese prime ministers have apologized for colonial rule in Korea and so-called charity dame. They thought that the problems would disappear if they apologized.
    However, you can understand that it is not so if you watch current Korea and China.
    After they apologized for aggression in China, the Chinese Nanjing slaughter victim announced by Chinese government was 20,000 people at first and it became 42,000 people and became 300,000 people at last.
    As soon as Japanese prime ministers apologized, Chinese or Korean criticisms for Japan began and their forgeries without grounds have spread.
    Japanese should know that even if the appearance of Japanese, Chinese and Korean are similar, their ways of thinking are different.
    I have never heard that the U. K. or France apologized for colonial rule to the countries that had been their colonies.
    But it is not bad to apologize. Japan must apologize after they check what are facts, and what are not facts well. Japan must prevent the forgery China or Korea are apt to make up.

Patriotism

  1. They usually don't show patriotism except when seeing international matches. Sometimes they are masochistic to say speak ill of themselves.
  2. Considerable Japanese do not know the problem about "Takeshima" and "the Northern Territories".
  3. The recent politicians request to breed patriotism.
  4. When they decide something, they talk with many members.
    Japanese do not want to bear the responsibility alone.
  5. So they cannot locate the responsibility clearly. They think they all should bear the responsibility for a failure.
  6. German can place the responsibility for the war on Hitler and the Nazis. But Japanese think they cannot place the responsibility for the war only on the particular persons, especially on the former Emperor.
    It is difficult for international tourists to understand the thinking.
  7. The worst foreigner that Korean dislike is Japanese, nevertheless many Japanese like Korean singers and movie stars. It seems they don't relate politics to sports and other things.

Natural disaster

  1. Old Japanese thought natural disaster is a act of God(spirituals). They prayed the God not to cause the disaster.
    So there are many shrines that worship the God.

Safety and Order

  1. Global Peace Index in 2013 indicates the ranking of Japan is no.6. (wikipedia)
  2. If you loose something valuable, even a purse on the street, in most cases it returns to you.

Thinking of other countries

  1. In ancient time, Japanese learned many knowledge from China and Korea.
    For example Japanese was influenced by Confucianism from China and Ceramic art from Korea. Japanese improved it and made unique culture.
    Japanese had thought China had been a country of Confucianism. But that was a misunderstanding. Japanese think Confucianism does not remain in China now.
    People think it remains in Japan now.
  2. In 2014 at the opening ceremony of the Sochi Olympic Games, when the Japanese team entered, three Chinese TV (CCTV) program commentators began to talk about a topic to have nothing to do with and disregarded the entrance. And when entrance of Japan was announced, Chinese Chairman Xi Jinping looked firm and did not do any motion with putting both hands on his knees.
  3. On the other hand, Japanese Prime Minister Abe sent applause to the entrance of all teams including the Chinese team. This is the "Li" in Confucianism.
  My Opinion
  1. After all, Confucianism was not established in China from the beginning, even though Confucius preached enthusiastically. Because it was in vain to preach to Chinese selfish people. So you can not see Confucianism anywhere in China now.

Diplomacy

  1. Japan always follows the United States.
    Japan gives about 2 billion dollars as the special budget to U.S. Armed Forces in Japan every year.
  2. A Prime Minister of Japan once said Japan should not do those foreign countries dislike, though diplomacy sometimes does those foreign countries dislike.
  3. Japan makes financial contributions of about 3,000,000 dollars to the U.N. that is No.2 after the United States.
    But the Japanese contributions are not appreciated by other nations.
  4. That of China is below half of Japan. But China acts big and arrogant.
  My Opinion
  1. Japanese nationality does not permit Japan to act arrogantly like China.
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