Odd

[jerryleouiche]

On an American forum, friends asked why there is no looting in Japan when disasters occur. I gave an answer.

What is yours ?

 

[undrentide]

It is hard to understand for me why in some countries looting happens when disasters hit...

Do not take me wrong, I'm not being sarcastic.
"No looting when disaster happens" is so natural/normal and something taken for granted here.

 

[epigene]

I agree with undrentide. Here are a couple of good reads.

Why Japan will prevail

Japan's massive earthquake has little effect on culture's impeccable manners

 

[jerryleouiche]

Theft

The question about looting is the compulsion toward theft.

The answer is in the profile of the persons who are the most prone to theft.

Whence the question of the sense of property with children, how it develops.

To be continued.

 

[undrentide]

I agree with undrentide. Here are a couple of good reads.

Why Japan will prevail

Japan's massive earthquake has little effect on culture's impeccable manners

Really good reads, epigene.
After posting here, I googled "no looting in Japan" and was almost shocked to find that there are so many articles and forum discussions about it.
As if it was something special...

 

[thomas]

"No looting when disaster happens" is so natural/normal and something taken for granted here.

Just to chime in here: as a European I take "no looting" for granted as well.

Jerry, where exactly *would* looting be an expected pattern of behaviour according to that online friend?

 

[Kirie_Maiden]

Seemingly in America, thomas.
I don't know if it happens in reality, but on TV and in movies, you always see people looting after a disaster of any kind.

I've never heard of people looting in the UK until I saw it happening in American shows and movies. It doesn't seem like standard practice to me.

 

[Nuala]

There has been extensive looting in times of unrest throughout the USA. Hurricane Katrina was one such time where people were looting. Made me sick to my stomach to learn that, but human nature is so chaotic at it's core. I'm not in the mood to speak of the gray areas in morality at this time, too uncomfortable.

 

[Kirie_Maiden]

Very true.

I found a thread on The Escapist regarding this issue, asking if the west should reform their ideas of Japan based on the whole 'no looting' thing. I don't know what the OP thought the wests ideas of Japan were, but I sure as hell didn't think of them as a bunch of looters.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/for...-re-evaluate-our-opinions-of-Japanese-society

The second poster about summed it up for me: "Did people expect looting?"
Good question, my good man!

 

[jerryleouiche]

Well well well

I had to bend over some strains of depressive mania for a research. Be aware that I had no whatsoever training in theoretical psychology and I am surely not a shrink.
I was working on a mere research in social anthropology over some criminal groups and came across depressive mania.
Because I had no theoretical background, instead of drilling for roots to depressive mania, I dug the other end: what makes some individuals quasi immune to it ? What is their common denominator ? Hopefully I belong to that minority.
Here we have the same equation, why would the Japanese not loot ?

 

[Damicci]

A lot also probably has to do with background and culture. In an are where living conditions are sub standard you will see looting due to the "I couldn't have it before so I guess i'll take it now that i can" mentality. it is very sad indeed but this mentality is learned from others.

 

[jerryleouiche]

ﾅｽ窶樞?堙最陳ｾ窶堋､ﾂ：

窶廛窶点窶堙最塚??堋ｵ窶堙??ｰﾂｽ窶堋ｩ窶堙個幸窶｢ﾅｸ窶堙俄?傳窶堋ｷ窶堙ｩﾂ。

Dorobō wa kesshite nani ka no kōfuku ni tassuru.

 

[undrentide]

窶廛窶点窶堙最塚??堋ｵ窶堙??ｰﾂｽ窶堋ｩ窶堙個幸窶｢ﾅｸ窶堙俄?傳窶堋ｷ窶堙ｩﾂ。

Dorobō wa kesshite nani ka no kōfuku ni tassuru.

... sorry to say the above sentence does not make sense.
If you want to convey messages to others, you should use the language you understand yourself.

 

[Grandpa Frank]

Consider being polite also..........

when you use giant size letters , it is considered like screaming at the top of your lungs at people( so I have been told?) Standard size print is just fine here on the forum. Remember that old saying, "The nail that stands out , gets pounded down" or something to that effect , LOL.

Uncle Frank

:?

 

[EmperorHirohito]

In my view Looting takes place due to a combination of several factors. It happens when you have the following: a breakdown in police in the area or on the streets, a mob mentality where its a case of grab what you can, if the need and the situation is right then looting will occur. Plus in cases of civil unrest, you will see looting of expensive electrical items by a mob, as a way of showing political dissent against those in power, who have placed certain items that expensive they are beyond the reach of those worse off. Looting is more of an oppertunist thing, without the oppertunity looting will not occur. As for any difference in Culture, yes there could be a link, but there might not be. If there has been no looting going on across the areas of Japan, it could be down to a more polite society, or could the reason be along the lines that with all the devastation that we have all seen, there is nothing worth trying to take, as its all jumbled up in the debris?

 

[undrentide]

If there has been no looting going on across the areas of Japan, it could be down to a more polite society, or could the reason be along the lines that with all the devastation that we have all seen, there is nothing worth trying to take, as its all jumbled up in the debris?

I think the latter is not the case, because all the media shows only the most devastated areas while there are many houses not so severely damaged too.

Though there is no looting, I'm sorry to say that there are 40 cases of burglary reported in Miyagi. The offenders broke into convenience stores and DIY shops during night, and stole cash.

 

[EmperorHirohito]

Thank you for the response. And I am sorry to hear that, but Crime will always take place, regardless of the situation.

 

[Damicci]

Though there is no looting, I'm sorry to say that there are 40 cases of burglary reported in Miyagi. The offenders broke into convenience stores and DIY shops during night, and stole cash.

Funny how the story about looting makes no reference to these reported cases on CNN. I recently the short article on "why-is-there-no-looting-in-japan" and not once did it mention the Miyagi incidents.

 

[jerryleouiche]

Well

Let's drop psychology for a moment.

The notion of property in Japan is not like ours.

It is a matter of attributes of the nobility then ?

 

[mmickels]

A lot also probably has to do with background and culture. In an are where living conditions are sub standard you will see looting due to the "I couldn't have it before so I guess i'll take it now that i can" mentality. it is very sad indeed but this mentality is learned from others.

Not everyone is a looter, but there are those who are opportunists and have no morals. The Katrina thing displayed more of this behavior than any disaster that I can remember. Some people were stealing television sets even though there was no electricity to run them. Some police were caught in the act of stealing as well. It was sad to see, but it was not everyone doing it. The media tends to make you think things are more widespread than they actually are. I remember many folks helping out after the 89 quake in the San Francisco Bay area. Unfortunately "honor" is not taught by the schools or in some homes here.

 

[ajin728]

I think Japanese is the most disciplinary nation in the world.

 

[Damicci]

Not everyone is a looter, but there are those who are opportunists and have no morals. The Katrina thing displayed more of this behavior than any disaster that I can remember. Some people were stealing television sets even though there was no electricity to run them. Some police were caught in the act of stealing as well. It was sad to see, but it was not everyone doing it. The media tends to make you think things are more widespread than they actually are. I remember many folks helping out after the 89 quake in the San Francisco Bay area. Unfortunately "honor" is not taught by the schools or in some homes here.

I really need to proofread my posts.
I never said everyone loots. I am only speaking of the people that do.
And the things people take are considered things they will use once everything returns to normal. So of course they are going to steal tv's with no electricity at that moment.

 

[mmickels]

I really need to proofread my posts.
I never said everyone loots.

I didn't take it that you thought everyone was a looter. My point was more about how the media can make people percieve things that are not widespread.