Q: Why we can not find individualism in Japan?
     or  Why Japanese businessmen work so hard?

 From American standpoint of view, Japanese society seems so uniformed not to be found individualism in it. Even if American individualism may be extreme, it is true that Japanese people lack the sense of individualism compared with others. I observe this reason from three factors: historical, traditional and geographical. All these factors affect each other and bear modern Japanese social system that seems uniformed abnormally.

 The historical factor is Japanese are demanded to work collectively to keep up with western civilization. As I pointed out in WHY: History, they must accept western knowledge and construct unified modern nation as soon as possible. For this purpose, the spirit of nationalism had been respected better than that of individualism. This tendency is found in developing Asian countries, too.

 The traditional factor is most of their life had been depended on rice crop agriculture, which demanded them collective work. In this work, they must do same things in same time and are demanded to keep up with others pace. And also, as in WHY: Religion referred, Japanese people have not lived with other people who have other language or customs and can not have enough ideas to live other way. They have few experiences to live in a way that is different from their traditional life stile.

 The geographical factor is there live so many people in Narrow Island. According to the increase of their population in modern age, they must depend on outer countries. The natural sources in Japan except human efforts are limited to support their life. In fact, the plain to live is not so large because most land of Japan is covered with mountain. This idea of Narrow Island leaded Japan to invade other Asian countries and, after World War 2, brought to them economic development.

 These three factors stimulated each other and constructed typical Japanese social system. It should be called Kaisha socialism or Cooperation Capitalism whose characteristic is represented in the life long employment system. In Japan, it is very difficult to change job, in place that Kaisha (company or cooperation) or Kigyou (enterprise) takes care of individual life. Therefore Japanese individual or family is depends on them so much. And also once they are employed by them, it is very difficult to have special skill to work in other company except some specialist. It is because firstly Kaishas demand them general work in various divisions and secondary they also demand them so much over-time work.

 Therefore they do not have so much afford to do something out of Kaisha. They should be called Proletarian that Marx pointed out, because they have no means to keep their living except their own labor. However rich they are, if do not have any way but to depend on Kasha, they are slaves. It is more serious for person who must support his/her family, because the school expenses is very expensive in Japan. Japanese children are forced to seek stable future in the life long employment system so much as they give up their present pleasure. The more pay Japanese parents for school expenses of their children, the more must they depend on their Kaisha.

 Behind these circumstances, I find Japanese poor ability to communicate. Though they can communicate each other very well in limited range composed by well-known people, they are afraid to communicate with unknown others. If they have more ability to communicate with unknown others, they will be able to find new way to live. Concerning this problem, I already referred in ‘The people without Law’.
 
 

Q: Why there is the problem of discrimination in Japan besides the problem of races

  We do not find so much problems of races in Japan as in other countries, even if there are some problems like the discrimination against Korean people who live in Japan. But we find the problem of discrimination among Japanese people, which is called the problem of 'Buraku' or 'Douwa'. You may strange that there is the discrimination among identified people.

 Many problems of discrimination come from differences of races, nation or religions but there can be this problem among same race, nation and religion. This fact means that problems of  it depend not on objective differences among people but on subjective consciousness. In this sense, Japanese problem can show us the true nature of discrimination.

 Most important point in the problem of 'Buraku' or 'Douwa' is that it is related to the consciousness sanitation deeply. The people to discriminate regard the people who are discriminated as dirty. In Japanese this idea of dirtiness is called 'Kegare (pollution)'. Since Yayoi period most of Japanese people had engaged in rice agriculture, and they had been unfamiliar with domestic animals. But, actually, they used these animals for their work. I consider the discrimination comes from the fact that Japanese farmers forced other minor people to care for these animals including the disposal of dead bodies. This tendency to discrimination was strengthened and fixed by Tokugawa government. It settled discriminated people under the former class. This system of class was abolished in Mage period formally but the discrimination became worse, because the discriminated people were forced to live with others. Actually when it was abolished, many Japanese formers protested and rebelled against Meji Government.

 This Japanese discrimination represents us the essence of this problem. It is primary discrimination to outer minor people who are forced to do the work that was disliked by major. It is related with the sense of sanitation and makes fix itself. If you read Old Testament (Leviticus), you will find how this sense takes root in human life. And secondary, according to the settlement of discrimination, they are regarded as more other people like creatures from outer space. Until now, they sometimes have serious barrier to marry others. It means this crimination is based on the idea of 'blood'. This type of discrimination is more serious than that of religion because it can not be solved by conversion.

 Japanese consciousness of discrimination is connected with its tradition tightly like other cases. The problem of marriage is more serious in rural town than in city. But it also shows the distraction of traditional human community in city. You will find in Japanese discrimination how this problem relates with our social nature.