Thursday, March 24, 2011

those magnificent, honorable japanese: 10 things to learn from Japan

mar 23rd, 2011 CE

i have always been in awe of their sense of honor and dignity. this email talks about the same thing. this is why i think japan will rise again.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: A
Date: 2011/3/24
Subject: 10 things to learn from Japan
To: rs <rajeev.srinivasan@gmail.com>



 

1. THE CALM

 

Not a single visual of chest-beating or wild grief. Sorrow itself has been elevated.

 

 

 

2. THE DIGNITY

 

Disciplined queues for water and groceries. Not a rough word or a crude gesture.

 

 

 

3. THE ABILITY

 

The incredible architects, for instance. Buildings swayed but didn’t fall.

 

 

 

4. THE GRACE

 

People bought only what they needed for the present, so everybody could get something.

 

 

 

5. THE ORDER

 

No looting in shops. No honking and no overtaking on the roads. Just understanding.

 

 

 

6. THE SACRIFICE

 

Fifty workers stayed back to pump sea water in the N-reactors. How will they ever be repaid?

 

 

 

7. THE TENDERNESS

 

Restaurants cut prices. An unguarded ATM is left alone. The strong cared for the weak.

 

 

 

8. THE TRAINING

 

The old and the children, everyone knew exactly what to do. And they did just that.

 

 

 

9. THE MEDIA

 

They showed magnificent restraint in the bulletins. No silly reporters. Only calm reportage.

 

 

 

10. THE CONSCIENCE

 

When the power went off in a store, people put things back on the shelves and left quietly



2 comments:

Ghost Writer said...

compare this to the loud wailing and breast beating during natural disasters in other cultures ...not just India; but anyone remember the looting in New Orleans?


which makes you doubly sorry about Japan's declining demographics (demography - not economics - is destiny) ....

Japan, and not the US is India's likeliest strategic partner.

1- We are hungry for investment, they have mountains of cash

2- If managed properly - we can offer decent returns on investment; they need all the money they can earn as they face the retirement bomb

3- We need further industrialization - they need to move their factories offshore, to where the workers are (and yes - I support the Japanese stance of limiting immigration - not every country needs to be a salad bowl. Immigration is deadly - look what happened to Kerala courtesy the mapillah son-in-laws)

4- We need to kick-start indigenous defence production; they have technology and need military expansion

alas - Kingini the Disturbed, his Amma and the rest of the pirates are too busy plundering on CWG, 2G and nuclear reactors to be bothered.

Vijay said...

Bharat taught the world everything. If you ask the Japanese .. they will tell you even their sumo came from India. They have that much respect for India.

I applaud the wonderful personal traits of the Japanese. but just wondering:

If the Japanese were impoverished and a very heterogeneous society full of inequality and discrimination will there be no looting? And this wonderful qualities still be there?