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The "value" of life to you and to the Japanese people.

Perhaps, but generally speaking Japanese are less helpful to people they don't see a relationship to or have a reason to make a relationship with. I hardly think the tax situation has as much to do with it the low charity donations in Japan.

Perhaps they could use a volunteer promotion as has been suggested in Japan. Some of the universities now take students on such trips, but generally they are related to a class and often include class credit for the time helping the needy.

I am kind of wondering, how many Japanese charities are there in comparison to some other countries' charities?
 
Actually the main reason is probably the huge difficulty in even establishing a Nonprofit Organization in Japan where pretty much everything related to public works and providing public service is regulated by the state.
 
You still fail to recognise that for a corporations or the wealthy, tax breaks from donations benefit them rather nicely.
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If you are saying that it benefits the individual or corporation nicely then why the hell don't they give more? Doesn't make sense if you are trying to say that Japanese don't give to charity because of the taxes and then say that the tax breaks benefit the people making the donations does it?

My donations to charity have been written off of my taxes before, I make a point of getting receipts for my donations so I can "prove" where the money went to and it was deducted.

Perhaps, but generally speaking Japanese are less helpful to people they don't see a relationship to or have a reason to make a relationship with
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And that is probably the main problem or point that needs to be taken into consideration. I agree with this statement wholeheartly. Of course there are those that do, and usually it is the children that are active in community service.

Let's not even begin to talk about the use of community service as a part of the justice system.

There is no large scale corporate involvement in education or community service. You dont hear of men or women helping to mentor children that are in trouble or need a "big" brother or "big" sister to get involved in their lives to help them get ahead and do some right with their lives. The education system passes countless numbers of children through it's doors every year without ever giving the kids a proper education.

And once those kids gradute from JHS they are on their own, or left to their families to take care of them. There are kids that NEVER step one foot into a classroom for 3 years of JHS and graduate. Those kids could benefit from a person or corporation willing to get involved in those kids lives and help them beome a beneficial tax paying member of society. But hell it doesnt affect them directly now does it?

I argue that it does, it's either pay now or pay later. The people working for those companies will not pay directly for these kids but society will later when they end up on welfare.

Quote:As for volunteering and giving something back to the community - again I'll repeat what I put in my last response to you - I sometimes wonder if we are living in the same country. 'Volunteering' is a national past time.
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Excuse me, outside of disaster relief, what are you talking about specifically?
Did you know that the "special" olympics here in Okinawa are held by the US Military? I am not talking about the Olypmics held every 2 years after a world Olmypics. I am talking about the one's held for the severly handicapped children and adults of Japan. The "forgotten" members of society. You don't hear of MD Camps sponsored, funded, and run totally by volunteers.

That is just ONE example, people getting involved for no other reason than just to help their fellow man or woman, that is not common here.
The list goes on and on. Oh one other thing 3 generation families have nothing to do with the topic of volunteering. However they are a great point about caring and looking out for one's own family. I know I live in such a family.

It isnt always easy but it does have many benefits.
My point about "value" of life is how people treat their fellow neighbor not just their own family.
 
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I cant say anything for now, my life is just beginning still 2 more years to go for school and then im getting into the reality!
Enjoy your life until the maximum and never go away from that path
 
TeriyakiPinoy said:
I cant say anything for now, my life is just beginning still 2 more years to go for school and then im getting into the reality!
Enjoy your life until the maximum and never go away from that path
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In a way I am envious good luck.
 


公益財団法人日本ãƒ'ラã'¹ãƒãƒ¼ãƒ"å"会（JPSA）
There are many "special" olympics and sports events in many places in Japan.
(You can check out the events and schedule by clicking ﾆ谷ﾆ椎槌停?愴胆ﾂー and then the month.)
 
not a difference of values that makes this statistic different, and you cannot put it any other way.
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I thought about this coment quite a bit and I submit that yes it is a difference of values so yes one can put a different way. In fact to me it does come down to a different value system altogether.

If we are comparing for example the USA and Japan in this regard then there is a huge difference. America corporations make it a part of their corporate policy to promote community and volunteerism within their companies.
I don't see that here in Japan
.
Here is an article to back up my point about the US;
http://www.worldvolunteerweb.org/br...ing/doc/standards-for-employee-volunteer.html

I am however surprised (gladly so) by the information included in the following link as well;

http://www.worldvolunteerweb.org/news-views/news/doc/volunteering-in-japan-a.html

Volunteering in Japan is NOT a national pastime as another poster here commented on. While it seems the situation is getting better it is not a part of the society as a whole. Or should I say it is not rooted in society as it is in the US.

It is refreshing to see that there are changes being made and hopefully they will continue.


Thank you for the information, I guess the point I was trying to make is that here in Okinawa at least, this event is not run by the Japanese people for themselves but by the US Military for the Japanese and American Special needs members of our society.

Did you know that the US military through private donations of it's members raised over 10,000 dollars US for the special olympics. There are literally thousands of US volunteers for these yearly games and from the Japanese side 65.

I guess it isn't fair to compare the two as the US military has a long history of donating it's time, energy and money to helping out volunteer wise. I use it to make my point about the atmoshpere of volunteering being different between the cultures and the differences the two cultures place on the value of helping out those that are less fortunate. Whether or not there is a "personal" connection or otherwise.
 
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I just came across this link and wanted to post it here, it has quite a bit of interesting imformation about the history and differences between Japan and the USA in regards to volunteering and NGO's.


It is a rather long article but an interesting read and reinforces the comment here made by another poster about the religious background to "giving" in the US in comparison to here.

The Changing Face of NGOs in Japan
 
Obeika said:
Volunteering in Japan is NOT a national pastime as another poster here commented on.
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Hope you are now over your bout of flu.

I'm not so sure what you mean here. Are you saying that giving your time freely by 'volunteering' for the good of the community is not part of the very fabric of Japanese society?
 
craftsman said:
Hope you are now over your bout of flu.
I'm not so sure what you mean here. Are you saying that giving your time freely by 'volunteering' for the good of the community is not part of the very fabric of Japanese society?
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I hope so thank you.

Yes what I am saying that in comparison to the USA volunteerism is not a part of the history or culture of Japanese people.

Of course there are going to be exceptions to that but generally speaking, as I also pointed out in a link in a previous post, that unless there is a direct benefit per say to the person or family Japanese people tend not to volunteer openly. I learned from this link that it does go back centuries but that it focused it seems on the wealthy and religious, not the "commoner" as it is in the US.


Taken from The Changing Face of NGO's in Japan

I agree with this comparison, and as I have been writing all along in comparison to the US, yes Japan lags behind.
 
Perhaps also part of it is many companies here feel their main duty is to employ people, they may not think about aspects beyond that. Companies in Japan have been slower to embrace things to help the environment and charities, the public doesn't push things in the same way they might in the UK or the US.

Also, if it is true as Elizabeth pointed out, that establishing a charity is difficult here, that would be another obstacle to doing charity work.
 
My 2 cents -
Issues like abortion, homosexuality and birth control are big issues in the US because there are so many religious people making them issues. American society is still deeply rooted in the medieval interpretations of someone else's interpretation of a translation of some things people thought they heard Jesus say 2,000 years ago. This includes stuff about gays, foetuses and sexual purity.
When you live in Japan, you notice that fewer people are concerned whether everyone might think they are gay or not; you also notice fewer people raising issues about what God (or the gods?) think or say about this or that.
The downside is that there may be less charity work, and less of that compassion some religious people do have.
 
Obeika said:
If you are saying that it benefits the individual or corporation nicely then why the hell don't they give more?
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Makes me wonder how much about the tax system and how charitable donations work - you ever had a chance to read how the Japanese tax system works?

More importantly, where do you live? You have Okinawa as your location which suggests to me that you're part of an American colony down there. Do you work in a Japanese company to quantify what you are saying? Do you take part in community projects and events that do exist?

I find your posts in this thread to be pretty baseless and lacking in reality mate.
 
I lack to see what abortion has to do with valuing life. No where in the world it is legaly seen as murder, and nor medical for what matters. So, such things only become an issue when people try to impose their way of thinking on others, like right-to-life-ers. Having less of those on Japan certainly helps to keep that from becoming an issue.
 
First of all, Jesus never said one word on homosexuality or abortion. Not even the most fanatic of religious extremists claims that interpretation. I have no idea what the medieval view of these subjects may have included.
When you live in Japan, you notice that fewer people are concerned whether everyone might think they are gay or not
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Oh, they definately care. Beneath the veneer of tolorance and polite indifference, Japan is still an openly and deeply conservative country.
 
First off "American Colony", talking about lacking reality you need to do a bit more studying about Japan before you make comments like this. Just because you come from a "former" colony yourself doesn't give you the right to call Okinawa such today. Many people down here would defintely not appreciate that one little bit, myself included.

Oh yes I work for the Japanese, ever since coming back to live here I have always worked for Japanese corporations and businesses. Please tell me in your vast number of years of living here in Japan tell me what is baseless. I am talking about this from my experience here and not just pulling the issue out of a hat and talking through my arse. I have discussed this very topic with numerous different people from all walks of life and pretty much everyone one of them gave the same answer, well they did use different words but the content was the same. Hence this thread.

Do you take part in community projects and events that do exist
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Did you even read the thread, go back and read it before asking this again, I've probably done more work volunteering here than the total amount of time that you have been living here in Japan.

I am not coming back here to "change" what I wrote in the previous paragraph just to say I apologize for exaggerating a bit about the "amount" of time that I have done volunteer work since living here in Japan. Suffice to say however that it is in the thousands of hours if not more. I've been here a while.
 
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I used it as an example in the OP, whether "countries" recognize whether it is "legal" or not is one thing. People see it as such.

The following is a list of countries where abortion is legal only under certain circumstances but generally unavailable;

Benin
Bolivia
Burkina Faso
Cameroon
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Ghana
Guinea
Jamaica
Liberia
Mali
Mozambique
Pakistan
Peru
Rwanda
Zambia
Zimbabwe

This is a list of countries where abortion is illegal;

Afghanistan*
Bangladesh*
Cote d'Ivoire*
Democratic Republic of Congo
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
Guatemala*
Haiti
Honduras
Indonesia*
Kenya*
Madagascar
Malawi*
Nicaragua*
Nigeria*
Paraguay*
Philippines
Senegal
Tanzania
Togo
Uganda*

Point is that abortion is a major topic about life values and issues to many people. Oh the information for that comes from the following link;
The Global Gag Rule's Effects on NGOs

First time I am going to inject some personal thoughts here on this subject; I have many friends that are here today because of the difficulty at the time of getting an abortion, if abortion had been as open then as it is today many of those that have been my friends since I was a very young child most likely wouldn't be here today.

Yet DO NOT misunderstand me I RESPECT a WOMAN's "right" to choose as well. It just seems that today having an abortion is the easy way out for many.

It is a complicated and polarizing issue at best.
 
Life values are nice, as long as each person chooses his/her own and don't force them to others.
 
hideway said:
Life values are nice, as long as each person chooses his/her own and don't force them to others.
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Ah that is a topic all by itself. There is a fine line there as well, because where does the perverbial line end when it comes to educating a child or person about moral's, ethics and values.

Raising a child is an educating experiencing all it's own, and to a large degree my children carry many of my values, moral's and ethics within them, that is a part of life as well.

Whether one likes it or not we all probably have been influenced in our beliefs by how we were raised and like it or not the person doing the educating is injecting to some degree their own views on the subject. Teaching people to make their own judgements however is another subject altogether.
 

I've met more than a few Americans whose sole experience with Japan was the time they were allowed to leave their own little communities within Japan and go out into that world where people do not know English and everything is so fascinating and shiny. Trying to tell me this or that about Japan when you really haven't been part of society but just living in your own protective bubble makes about as much sense of telling a blind man what its like to be blind.

I'll repeat myself again - charitable donations of money by wealthy individuals and companies cannot be used as a benchmark to compare Japan and America as the underlying system and benefits are completely different, meaning that motives and rewards for both are not comparable.

I've done my fair share of volunteer work - unpaid work in my free time at schools, kindergartens, working with children, helping organize large events, etc. My girlfriend has done similar stuff and until recently used to help out at a retirement home. Parents usually do all sorts of unpaid things in their own time that is related to their children. I know people who do activities with blind and deaf people, I know people who volunteer their time to be translators, and so on and so forth. You might scoff at that, but its the little things that you have to start with.

I also quite enjoyed the list of countries where abortion is illegal or carries conditions, not sure what that was supposed to show. As far as I know Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Italy, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States, infact, every single country within the G8. You could go as far as saying that legal abortion is the sign of an advanced country/civilisation, and legal abortion means that it is carried out safely with the upmost care for the patient. You have to also remember that the countries which have some of the lowest abortion rates in the world (Holland) also has an excellent sex and contraceptives education program that is taught to children, while America is going backwards in promoting abstinence and abortion rates 50x that of Holland. Relation? Perhaps.

You also fail to mention that in countries where abortion is completely outlawed illegal and extremely dangerous abortions take place, and an abortion will not be carried out in situations where the mothers life is at risk, the baby is known to have some kind of crippling condition, or in cases where pregnancy was a result of rape.
 
You are missing the point entirely, I am talking about the Japanese adult population as a whole. I pointed out on a number of different occasions that of course there are going to be exceptions to every rule.

More power to you for what you do, keep it up. I applaud the effort, maybe others will take or follow your example and get involved as well.


I suggest that before you generalize about all of us American's living here find about about the person you are talking to and try to stay away from being condescending by lumping us all together.

If your profile is accurate I was living here in Japan from before you were born, that doesn't make me an expert on the country or the people, but it does give me quite a bit more insight purely through experiences that you havent had. That doesn't make yours any less important or pertinent, it just means I've had more and in more vaired situations that's all.

Just the same I will never claim to say I know everything about my "home" country either, I am not that arrogant.

also quite enjoyed the list of countries where abortion is illegal or carries conditions, not sure what that was supposed to show.
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You are taking that out of context, did you even take the time to read the link that was included at the end of the list? If you read that you would understand the response to hideaways points. He and I evidently understood each other. The list was given as a response in making a point about one of his replies.

I get the impression that you do not actually read the replies that people make to you and just write what you are "thinking" at the time.
 
Obeika said:
You are missing the point entirely, I am talking about the Japanese adult population as a whole. I pointed out on a number of different occasions that of course there are going to be exceptions to every rule.
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Obeika - the examples Ewok85 gives are no exception to the rule. Volunteer work like that is so common that it beggars belief that you are actually saying that people don't volunteer much.

I still don't think I get your point with this. Are you talking about volunteering in general or just volunteering to help strangers?
 
craftsman said:
Obeika - the examples Ewok85 gives are no exception to the rule. Volunteer work like that is so common that it beggars belief that you are actually saying that people don't volunteer much.
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Actually outside of what he discussed about what he and his gf have done, one reply to you and this;


are the only references he has made in posts here about volunteering. I never debunked these things. I am assuming you actually read my replies on this thread, unlike Ewok btw. The majority of his comments on this thread were related to the issues of charitable contributions and abortion, not volunteering btw.

(Sidenote here: Now as an afterthought I probably should have started a number of different threads covering this subject as there are different topics intertwined together and it may make it hard for some to follow, present company excluded I hope)

I also feel that the work you did as well is worthy and commendable as well.

Percentage wise outside of kids and outside of family however the percentage of Japanese that do volunteer work is low in comparison to the US.

Are you talking about volunteering in general or just volunteering to help strangers
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What is the difference to you between just volunteering in general or volunteering to help strangers?

If you are asking me; "Are you talking about volunteering for your family, or your community's sake or talking about volunteering to help strangers?"

I will say that I am talking about volunteering to assist or help strangers. And I still say that in comparison to the US, Japan lags far behind in that respect. If you looked at the links I provided you will see some of the reasons for why that is so.

It also comes back to a comment made here earlier, I think by Elizabeth about the religious background that exists in the US for volunteerism.

It is also pointed out in one of the links I provided that the basis for US volunteerism is Judeo-Chrisitan based, yet it isn't here in Japan. Also in Japan people do volunteer work very much geared to helping those who are willing to help themselves, where as in America there is no limit to the "type" of people that volunteers work with, to include total strangers. Japanese volunteer work in a way is self centered and self serving, neither of which are in this case bad, just a fact of life.

The fact of the matter is Japanese people while they may be willing to volunteer to assist someone they know are very much less inclined to do so for someone that they don't know. Again there are exceptions to the rule, but in fact the people in the US do more for strangers through volunteer efforts than Japanese people do.
 
It wasn't based on this article, and since academic publications such this by a Japanese author tend to be confined very specifically to a certain problem some may not find it particularly relevant here. The reasoning, though, that there is less social acceptance for volunteers in Japan combined with tax and business legal barriers generally reinforces what has already been brought up several places.

http://www.lit.kyushu-u.ac.jp/~adachi/2000/Volunteers and NPO in Japan.htm
An relevant excerpt from the conclusion :
Social evaluation of volunteering in Japan and the US are different. My survey of volunteers in Japan has revealed that a 'low social evaluation' is their greatest source of frustration and dissatisfaction. In addition to a lack of appreciation from the public at large, volunteers in Japan must contend with a lack of understanding from their families and friends. It is also important to note that Japanese society does not traditionally reward or encourage people who have acted independently and of their own volition. In the US, 'volunteer' tends to signify 'an individual', whereas in Japan, individual activity is not readily recognized. Unless the individual belongs to a group of some kind, his or her actions do not usually receive the approval of society or of his peers. This explains why Japanese volunteers are not engaged in volunteer activities in order 'to enrich their lives'. It is also the reason why Japanese volunteers join a group and, as a member of a group, volunteer at various facilities.
recognized as a specialty.
 
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