What I've noticed in Japan, is people who have cultivated a positive self image, who think of themselves as a good person, will be motivated to behave in a way

What I've noticed in Japan, is people who have cultivated a positive self image, who think of themselves as a good person, will be motivated to behave in a way consistent with that image, just the same as everywhere else. People who are motivated to to avoid external judgements, risks to pride or status, will just do the bad thing when no-one is looking, or in a way that sufficiently "launders" the connection between their actions and their social status. And the byproduct of all the external social pressure is a lot of psychological pain, self censorship, crippling risk aversion, and acceptance of bullying dominant personalities.