Feb 14, 2022 (Japan Times) - Celebrities apologizing for catching COVID-19; patients hiding their infections for fear of being ostracized; so-called “virus vigilantes” harassing potential spreaders of the sickness — such behavior has become all too common in pandemic-era Japan.
A sense of duty to follow social norms has been suggested as a reason why Japan has been able to avoid the kind of explosive outbreaks seen in other countries despite putting no stringent lockdown measures in place.
Researchers have speculated that there must be an “X-factor” behind the relatively low mortality rates, with theories ranging from the public’s high standard of hygiene to the abundance of a specific intestinal bacteria. Another theory points to Japan’s culture of conformity, represented by the ubiquitous mask-wearing the nation has come to be known for.
From avoiding the “three Cs” — closed spaces, crowded places and close-contact settings — to complying with voluntary stay at home requests, the majority of the public has displayed a high level of self-restraint amid emergency decrees.
Why?
In the “Manyoshu,” Japan’s oldest known poetry anthology compiled during the end of the Nara Period (710–794), the poet Yamanoue no Okura (660–733) laments, “nothing but pain and shame in this world of men, but I cannot fly away, wanting the wings of a bird.”
Naoki Sato, a professor emeritus at Kyushu Institute of Technology, says the pandemic has shown how social conformity functions in Japan.
The Chinese characters for “world” in this poem are the same as those used in seken and essentially describe a similar view, explains Sato, who has been studying the concept for more than two decades and has published books on peer pressure and the Japanese.
The term is often used interchangeably with shakai (society), but refers to more particular power dynamics driven by unofficial rules and expectations that are born when people gather in groups — somewhat akin to a village mentality. These include customs and superstitions many Japanese follow in their daily lives: Avoiding days considered bad luck for weddings and other celebratory occasions, seasonal gift-giving (and the obligatory returning of presents) and, more recently, eating cake on Christmas Eve, to name a few. ...continue reading
