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Nearly everyone was on the same proverbial page: Japan's population is 98.5 per cent Japanese, as defined by citizenry. While ethnic diversity has its strengths

Nearly everyone was on the same proverbial page: Japan's population is 98.5 per cent Japanese, as defined by citizenry. While ethnic diversity has its strengths (and some academics point out that, when you analyse the population's regional roots, Japan is quite diverse), a set of common cultural values, instilled from birth, may strengthen resilience in the face of crisis and adversity. Thought-crime in progress, citizens. Look away! Look away!

kazinator 12y ago
I think what that means that if some Japanese folk are in a crisis, they (within obvious limitations of individual personalities and capacities) can generally count on each other to "do the Japanese thing". That brings a certain spontaneous efficiency and order into a chaotic situation, compared to having to deal with clashes of different mindsets on top of the crisis.
- dhimes 12y ago
  Indeed, we were all counting on that with Fukashima.
- hkmurakami 12y ago
  >do the Japanese thing I think this is important to stress, because "doing the Japanese thing" isn't a natural, subconscious thing. It's a deliberate "playing the part". The uniformity of Japanese society isn't entirely due to the uniformity of its people. It's also strongly driven by people responsibly acting like they are "supposed to" in role play fashion. There are many people who couldn't handle the role play and bowed out of mainstream work and life. It's kind of like not being able to guzzle down the coolaid at a "SV Startup" and thus bowing out.
  - kazinator 12y ago
    I have been informed by some non-immigrant Japanese people that they find some Japanese immigrants living in, say, Canada or America, to have their own way of thinking (so that, "yappari" (of course, no surprise!), those people prefer being immigrants in another culture). So sometimes I ask the question, like it's great in Japan, why do you want to be here? The reasons are various, among them things like, "I like just addressing people by their first name", or "there are people from many different countries and cultures in Canada; people are not 'the same'". Once on the train (in Canada) I overheard some snippet of conversation among some girls about some planned event, "... minna Nihonjin dakara ikitakunai" ("I don't want to go, because everyone there will be Japanese").
    - hkmurakami 12y ago
      I know exactly what that girl meant by that phrase and empathize with her. As as outsider of any degree (whether American born like me or simply not having fit in with the "way things are" in a Japanese group setting), it can be stifling.
  - lovemenot 12y ago
    >> "doing the Japanese thing" isn't a natural, subconscious thing. It's a deliberate "playing the part". Arguably, for anyone, it always is just playing a part. Japanese seem to get this point better than some, so tend to keep in character for longer.
    - kazinator 12y ago
      Basically, you're not going to say and do the right thing, if you're raised by wolves in the woods, no matter what genes you contain. It is learned. So then whether it's acting its just a question of how deeply is the learning integrated into your personality and how it aligns with your so called temperament.
lclarkmichalek 12y ago
You're the only person who has mentioned that paragraph. Clearly the thought police are asleep today.
drpgq 12y ago
Well even Robert Putnam has admitted that diversity is overrated.
- tsotha 12y ago
  After delaying publication of his work until he could figure out how to spin it. Personally I think the Japanese are blessed for having a homogeneous society because it means they don't have to devote time in every discussion to race issues.
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
le_lenny_face 12y ago
Jesus Christ. Why do we even allow this sort of pseudo-scientific "race realist" (read: racist) rubbish on Hacker News? Japan is one of the most racist first-world countries in the world. Have you even seen their incessant xenophobia?
- girvo 12y ago
  I think there can be an interesting discussion on the benefits of integration vs. diversity, even if I personally think diversity is something that is good. Integration has good sides and bad sides; the good being the focus of the original article, the bad being horrendous xenophobia and terrible treatment of those who don't integrate. Shutting discussion down as if things don't have multiple sides isn't very liberal, in my opinion, even if I personally disagree with the focus of said discussion.
- Dylan16807 12y ago
  Culture isn't race... Are there actual comments from "race realists" somwhere I'm missing, or are you raging against something that doesn't exist?
- Danieru 12y ago
  No I haven't seen the zenophobia. Granted I only live here so maybe it is more obvious from SF?
cbd1984 12y ago
Yes. Being anti-racist is just like being the Thought Police in Nineteen Eighty-Four.

kazinator 12y ago

I think what that means that if some Japanese folk are in a crisis, they (within obvious limitations of individual personalities and capacities) can generally count on each other to "do the Japanese thing". That brings a certain spontaneous efficiency and order into a chaotic situation, compared to having to deal with clashes of different mindsets on top of the crisis.

dhimes 12y ago
Indeed, we were all counting on that with Fukashima.
hkmurakami 12y ago
>do the Japanese thing I think this is important to stress, because "doing the Japanese thing" isn't a natural, subconscious thing. It's a deliberate "playing the part". The uniformity of Japanese society isn't entirely due to the uniformity of its people. It's also strongly driven by people responsibly acting like they are "supposed to" in role play fashion. There are many people who couldn't handle the role play and bowed out of mainstream work and life. It's kind of like not being able to guzzle down the coolaid at a "SV Startup" and thus bowing out.
- kazinator 12y ago
  I have been informed by some non-immigrant Japanese people that they find some Japanese immigrants living in, say, Canada or America, to have their own way of thinking (so that, "yappari" (of course, no surprise!), those people prefer being immigrants in another culture). So sometimes I ask the question, like it's great in Japan, why do you want to be here? The reasons are various, among them things like, "I like just addressing people by their first name", or "there are people from many different countries and cultures in Canada; people are not 'the same'". Once on the train (in Canada) I overheard some snippet of conversation among some girls about some planned event, "... minna Nihonjin dakara ikitakunai" ("I don't want to go, because everyone there will be Japanese").
  - hkmurakami 12y ago
    I know exactly what that girl meant by that phrase and empathize with her. As as outsider of any degree (whether American born like me or simply not having fit in with the "way things are" in a Japanese group setting), it can be stifling.
- lovemenot 12y ago
  >> "doing the Japanese thing" isn't a natural, subconscious thing. It's a deliberate "playing the part". Arguably, for anyone, it always is just playing a part. Japanese seem to get this point better than some, so tend to keep in character for longer.
  - kazinator 12y ago
    Basically, you're not going to say and do the right thing, if you're raised by wolves in the woods, no matter what genes you contain. It is learned. So then whether it's acting its just a question of how deeply is the learning integrated into your personality and how it aligns with your so called temperament.

lclarkmichalek 12y ago

You're the only person who has mentioned that paragraph. Clearly the thought police are asleep today.

drpgq 12y ago

Well even Robert Putnam has admitted that diversity is overrated.

tsotha 12y ago
After delaying publication of his work until he could figure out how to spin it. Personally I think the Japanese are blessed for having a homogeneous society because it means they don't have to devote time in every discussion to race issues.

deleted 12y ago

[deleted]

le_lenny_face 12y ago

Jesus Christ. Why do we even allow this sort of pseudo-scientific "race realist" (read: racist) rubbish on Hacker News? Japan is one of the most racist first-world countries in the world. Have you even seen their incessant xenophobia?

girvo 12y ago
I think there can be an interesting discussion on the benefits of integration vs. diversity, even if I personally think diversity is something that is good. Integration has good sides and bad sides; the good being the focus of the original article, the bad being horrendous xenophobia and terrible treatment of those who don't integrate. Shutting discussion down as if things don't have multiple sides isn't very liberal, in my opinion, even if I personally disagree with the focus of said discussion.
Dylan16807 12y ago
Culture isn't race... Are there actual comments from "race realists" somwhere I'm missing, or are you raging against something that doesn't exist?
Danieru 12y ago
No I haven't seen the zenophobia. Granted I only live here so maybe it is more obvious from SF?

cbd1984 12y ago

Yes. Being anti-racist is just like being the Thought Police in Nineteen Eighty-Four.