Recently one of my co-workers asked me why I don't leave Japan after the nuclear crisis.
"Japanese people have to stay in Japan. Foreigners can leave any time they want. Why don't you just go where it is safe?"
I've heard from various Japanese people that they love Japan and that it's their country, and they can't leave it. Even in a time of crisis like this.
I want to discuss reasons why Japanese people feel they have to stay in Japan no matter what happens. Is it because they are too concerned about their foreign language ability to leave Japan? Is it because they don't want to leave their families? Is it because they feel they have some kind of obligation to stay and help out?
I want to write a story about this, so your responses would be greatly appreciated.
"Japanese people have to stay in Japan. Foreigners can leave any time they want. Why don't you just go where it is safe?"
I've heard from various Japanese people that they love Japan and that it's their country, and they can't leave it. Even in a time of crisis like this.
I want to discuss reasons why Japanese people feel they have to stay in Japan no matter what happens. Is it because they are too concerned about their foreign language ability to leave Japan? Is it because they don't want to leave their families? Is it because they feel they have some kind of obligation to stay and help out?
I want to write a story about this, so your responses would be greatly appreciated.
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コメント(72)
It depends on person. But, leaving Japan is difficult because there's many problems such as money, language, culture・・
And, they cannot ignore their parents and grandparents.
Actually, many old people don't wanna move out from their home town.
Why they can go to another countries that have totally different things...culture, race, food, language,living style.. Anyway, they would live in Japan before they would move out from Japan even though it's dengerous.
And, they cannot ignore their parents and grandparents.
Actually, many old people don't wanna move out from their home town.
Why they can go to another countries that have totally different things...culture, race, food, language,living style.. Anyway, they would live in Japan before they would move out from Japan even though it's dengerous.
I was born and raised in Tokyo and am still staying in Japan.
Even though my husband is Canadian and my mother in law is asking us to leave, I am still in Tokyo because of the following reasons.
1) I don't think it's absolutely nesseccery to evacuate at this stage. You willget more radiation by flying out to US or Canada than simply staying in Tokyo! It doesn't worth throwing everything I have here away. However, I will leave if it becomes absolutely dangerous to live in Tokyo.
2) what if everybody left Japan? Who is going to help people in tohoku? Who is going to re-establish Japan? I feel like staying in Japan and doing things that I do everyday is contributing to the re-establishment of the country. Leaving Japan now is like abandoning my country to me and i would feel very irresponsible if I leave now.
3) last but not least, family and friends. They are what's keeping me here as well.
These are just my opinions as one Japanese person who's still in Tokyo!
Even though my husband is Canadian and my mother in law is asking us to leave, I am still in Tokyo because of the following reasons.
1) I don't think it's absolutely nesseccery to evacuate at this stage. You willget more radiation by flying out to US or Canada than simply staying in Tokyo! It doesn't worth throwing everything I have here away. However, I will leave if it becomes absolutely dangerous to live in Tokyo.
2) what if everybody left Japan? Who is going to help people in tohoku? Who is going to re-establish Japan? I feel like staying in Japan and doing things that I do everyday is contributing to the re-establishment of the country. Leaving Japan now is like abandoning my country to me and i would feel very irresponsible if I leave now.
3) last but not least, family and friends. They are what's keeping me here as well.
These are just my opinions as one Japanese person who's still in Tokyo!
I'm not Japanese, but I'm not leaving either. It seems so easy for people to tell me 'come home', but what would I do then? I've been in Japan for 17 years, so Japan is my home. I wish people could understand that. (I've taken myself offline when I do facebook, because people are annoying me with chat. Leave! Run away! Come home! ) Do I move somewhere else and start from zero? That sounds like a nightmare that I can still avoid. The banks are still open, and they might not like it if I stopped paying my loan. It's nice to have American citizenship in case things get so bad that I have to leave, but I'm going to try to stay as long as possible and continue the life I've made for myself. If you came to Japan for one or two years to teach English and visit Thailand and Korea while you're here and have decided it's too scary or dangerous to be here...feel free to leave.
I wrote two pages of comments and after that I deleted it. I'm foreign , I'm not Japanese and I'm actually not in the position to judge or comment truly with wisdom upon others' cultures. What I really have to say from my personal experience, is that even if we are educated to think collectively, ultimately we live our own individual life in a huge beautiful collective planet. Countries and nations are CONCEPTS, and are NOT REAL in nature. If people decide to stay and sacrifice health, they should not spend energies to SUSTAIN a situation, but to change in evolution. The ultimate evolution is anyways globalization.
>Inquisitor
>Hamaoka is built directly over the subduction zone near the junction of two tectonic plates, and a major Tokai earthquake is said to be overdue.The possibility of such a shallow magnitude 8.0 earthquake in the Tokai region was pointed out by Kiyoo Mogi in 1969, 7 months before permission to construct the Hamaoka plant was sought, and by the Coordinating Committee for Earthquake Prediction (CCEP) in 1970, prior to the permission being granted on December 10, 1970. As a consequence, Professor Katsuhiko Ishibashi, a former member of a government panel on nuclear reactor safety, claimed in 2004 that Hamaoka was 'considered to be the most dangerous nuclear power plant in Japan' with the potential to create a genpatsu-shinsai (domino-effect nuclear power plant earthquake disaster). In 2007, following the 2007 Chūetsu offshore earthquake, Dr Mogi, by then chair of Japan's Coordinating Committee for Earthquake Prediction, called for the immediate closure of the plant.
>The plant has been designed to withstand an earthquake of magnitude 8.5
311 earthquake was magnitude 9.0. Now Shizuoka one can be more than it.
>Hamaoka is built directly over the subduction zone near the junction of two tectonic plates, and a major Tokai earthquake is said to be overdue.The possibility of such a shallow magnitude 8.0 earthquake in the Tokai region was pointed out by Kiyoo Mogi in 1969, 7 months before permission to construct the Hamaoka plant was sought, and by the Coordinating Committee for Earthquake Prediction (CCEP) in 1970, prior to the permission being granted on December 10, 1970. As a consequence, Professor Katsuhiko Ishibashi, a former member of a government panel on nuclear reactor safety, claimed in 2004 that Hamaoka was 'considered to be the most dangerous nuclear power plant in Japan' with the potential to create a genpatsu-shinsai (domino-effect nuclear power plant earthquake disaster). In 2007, following the 2007 Chūetsu offshore earthquake, Dr Mogi, by then chair of Japan's Coordinating Committee for Earthquake Prediction, called for the immediate closure of the plant.
>The plant has been designed to withstand an earthquake of magnitude 8.5
311 earthquake was magnitude 9.0. Now Shizuoka one can be more than it.
Because Japanese government says "there is nothing to worry about. It gonna be all right soon."
But actually my sister and her kids have already left Japan after the earthquake.
Few days after the earthquake, she applied VISA and passports. End of last month, she and her kids left Japan.
Even she hadn't lived abroad before.
Even she can't understand any of foreign language,
Even she had to spend most of her money.
She said she doesn't want to let her kids die.
I think some Japanese have already left Japan like my sister.
But actually my sister and her kids have already left Japan after the earthquake.
Few days after the earthquake, she applied VISA and passports. End of last month, she and her kids left Japan.
Even she hadn't lived abroad before.
Even she can't understand any of foreign language,
Even she had to spend most of her money.
She said she doesn't want to let her kids die.
I think some Japanese have already left Japan like my sister.
I think Japanese people worried about "language", "work" and "family".
Re: "language"
Japanese people cannot almost speak foreign languages.
Therefore, we cannot live in foreign countries suddenly.
Re: "work"
Japanese people cannot get a job in foreign countries,
because we don't know how to get a job there.
Re: "family"
As people all over the world know, we love our families.
Therefore, we don't think we can leave Japan
if our families were still in Japan.
In other words, we can not leave Japan whatever happens.
Re: "language"
Japanese people cannot almost speak foreign languages.
Therefore, we cannot live in foreign countries suddenly.
Re: "work"
Japanese people cannot get a job in foreign countries,
because we don't know how to get a job there.
Re: "family"
As people all over the world know, we love our families.
Therefore, we don't think we can leave Japan
if our families were still in Japan.
In other words, we can not leave Japan whatever happens.
I think at the moment there are lots of panic reactions. Germany being the most hysterical country of all, the green party gains lot of public opinion by misusing the suffering of the people in Tohoku. Western media are hypocrites, they preach in their own mission and change opinion as other people change socks.
Japan is one of the few countries that care for their own people first, government is there for the people and not the other way around. Despite kan receives lots of criticism, what would other state leaders do in the same situation?
Also, other countries have nuclear plants as well, and those plants by far not reach Japanese safety standards.
The people of Japan have every reason to be proud of their country. The damage will be repaired and houses will be build again. Any foreign Greenpeace wacko who don't like it can leave ;)
Japan is one of the few countries that care for their own people first, government is there for the people and not the other way around. Despite kan receives lots of criticism, what would other state leaders do in the same situation?
Also, other countries have nuclear plants as well, and those plants by far not reach Japanese safety standards.
The people of Japan have every reason to be proud of their country. The damage will be repaired and houses will be build again. Any foreign Greenpeace wacko who don't like it can leave ;)
25 years later, 30 km restricted zone is cordoned off and guarded by military forces
in Chernobyl but there are still people living outside of 30 km restricted zone.
Why don't they leave to far away, to another country?
Why Libyans doesn't leave the country to somewhere else?
Why Syrians, Bahrainis still in the country?
Don't you think your question is too broad?
Isn't it obvious that every person has different stories and reason?
People always don't have a choice or they may not even know that they have a choice.
As I don't live in Japan, I can't answer to your question but let me tell you...
when Japanese government sent a charter flight to Libya to rescue Japanese people from Libya.
I didn't think much as many other country's governments were doing the same and I thought it was right things to do.
When western country's government sent charter flights to Japan & seeing many western people evacuating Japan. I felt very sad, very very sad. I also felt very sorry for Libyans as they were
probably feeling the same when all the evacuation were happening back then.
I am not complaining about western people evacuating Japan and I can understand that in such catastrophic situations people want to go back to their own country, back to their family and
friends. I understand that, if I were them I would have probably done the same but in the mean
time I can't pretend that it didn't hurt me.
in Chernobyl but there are still people living outside of 30 km restricted zone.
Why don't they leave to far away, to another country?
Why Libyans doesn't leave the country to somewhere else?
Why Syrians, Bahrainis still in the country?
Don't you think your question is too broad?
Isn't it obvious that every person has different stories and reason?
People always don't have a choice or they may not even know that they have a choice.
As I don't live in Japan, I can't answer to your question but let me tell you...
when Japanese government sent a charter flight to Libya to rescue Japanese people from Libya.
I didn't think much as many other country's governments were doing the same and I thought it was right things to do.
When western country's government sent charter flights to Japan & seeing many western people evacuating Japan. I felt very sad, very very sad. I also felt very sorry for Libyans as they were
probably feeling the same when all the evacuation were happening back then.
I am not complaining about western people evacuating Japan and I can understand that in such catastrophic situations people want to go back to their own country, back to their family and
friends. I understand that, if I were them I would have probably done the same but in the mean
time I can't pretend that it didn't hurt me.
52> Yes, Japanese will rebuild their own country; it's incorrect, however, to believe they will do it entirely by themselves. (E.g. look at organizations such as www.hands.org, which have been sending streams of volunteers from abroad into Japan. And this country has the support of the world in moving forward.)
As to the question: Some people will leave an area when they feel threatened (they or, as in the case of #46, they are concerned for the long-term ramifications of living with children near a source of radiation), but for those who feel an affinity for the land they own; or who feel responsible for their surrounding community; or who feel in countless other ways that they must move forward and rebuild, and physically moving is not an option; or who feel their lives simply aren't in danger; or who fear the changes that they may confront when physically moving--these people will remain where they are. I reckon that's a general enough answer to fit the human condition in many, many other areas, not just Japan.
As to the question: Some people will leave an area when they feel threatened (they or, as in the case of #46, they are concerned for the long-term ramifications of living with children near a source of radiation), but for those who feel an affinity for the land they own; or who feel responsible for their surrounding community; or who feel in countless other ways that they must move forward and rebuild, and physically moving is not an option; or who feel their lives simply aren't in danger; or who fear the changes that they may confront when physically moving--these people will remain where they are. I reckon that's a general enough answer to fit the human condition in many, many other areas, not just Japan.
LIMITING THE TOPIC TO ONLY THE REASONS WHY JAPANESE PEOPLE FEEL THEY HAVE TO STAY IN JAPAN NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, I THINK IS KIND OF A BIT IGNORANT.
AS THERE ARE MANY OTHER REASONS OTHER THAN THAT FOR EACH INDIVIDUALS FOR STAY HERE.(OR NOT LEAVING HERE)
AS FOR ME,I WOULD VERY MUCH LOVE TO LEAVE JAPAN BUT I AM STILL HERE BECAUSE OF SEVERAL REASONS,BUT DEFINITELY NOT BECAUSE I FEEL WE JAPANESE HAVE TO STAY HERE.
IT KIND OF ANNOYS ME WHEN NON JAPANESE PEOPLE GENERALIZE JAPANESE LIKE THIS
AS THERE ARE MANY OTHER REASONS OTHER THAN THAT FOR EACH INDIVIDUALS FOR STAY HERE.(OR NOT LEAVING HERE)
AS FOR ME,I WOULD VERY MUCH LOVE TO LEAVE JAPAN BUT I AM STILL HERE BECAUSE OF SEVERAL REASONS,BUT DEFINITELY NOT BECAUSE I FEEL WE JAPANESE HAVE TO STAY HERE.
IT KIND OF ANNOYS ME WHEN NON JAPANESE PEOPLE GENERALIZE JAPANESE LIKE THIS
Hey Daft Punk, I think you're reading western media too much. Okay, maybe it's the only one you're able to read. To write down your story you came to right place, but started from a mistaken premise.
As fellow Kamuix99 kindly wrote down, there's no reason for Japanese to go abroad due to any radiation "crisis". There's no crisis. You're young and if you check this guy's blog you will be able to understand what I'm talking about. He's an american citizen, journalist like me and you. [http://ampontan.wordpress.com]
It's time to avoid panic and let the economy recover from Lehman Shock.
Who told you that the japanese are not able to talk foreign languages? I know more than five Japanese friends that had been abroad for years without communication problems. They had been at Cali, Thai, Houston, Argentina and Middle East each one.
I'm brazilian nikkei from Sao Paulo a city known as the tropic's Babylon. But even there we haven't too many diversity of languages schools as Nagoya has, for quoting a place that I know well. And according to the latest EF English Proficiency Index, Japan got the place 14 in the World.
http://www.ef.com/epi/ef-epi-ranking/
Interpreting the data, most of the japanese doesn't speak well, but those who does, are excellent. As most of the guys here in this community (not me!).
Journalism lost too much of that romantical view that it is possible to reach the people conscience through our reportages. I hope your story goes through a truth path and don't appeal for sensationalism, which is easier, but not respectable. Journalism became part of the Advertsing business. But it has to back to his own reason of being and it will, as young journalists believes that tell the truth worth more than money.
For what media will you write this one? There's plenty of travel agencies advertising there?
As fellow Kamuix99 kindly wrote down, there's no reason for Japanese to go abroad due to any radiation "crisis". There's no crisis. You're young and if you check this guy's blog you will be able to understand what I'm talking about. He's an american citizen, journalist like me and you. [http://ampontan.wordpress.com]
It's time to avoid panic and let the economy recover from Lehman Shock.
Who told you that the japanese are not able to talk foreign languages? I know more than five Japanese friends that had been abroad for years without communication problems. They had been at Cali, Thai, Houston, Argentina and Middle East each one.
I'm brazilian nikkei from Sao Paulo a city known as the tropic's Babylon. But even there we haven't too many diversity of languages schools as Nagoya has, for quoting a place that I know well. And according to the latest EF English Proficiency Index, Japan got the place 14 in the World.
http://www.ef.com/epi/ef-epi-ranking/
Interpreting the data, most of the japanese doesn't speak well, but those who does, are excellent. As most of the guys here in this community (not me!).
Journalism lost too much of that romantical view that it is possible to reach the people conscience through our reportages. I hope your story goes through a truth path and don't appeal for sensationalism, which is easier, but not respectable. Journalism became part of the Advertsing business. But it has to back to his own reason of being and it will, as young journalists believes that tell the truth worth more than money.
For what media will you write this one? There's plenty of travel agencies advertising there?
ts> If Japan recovers by only its own efforts or with the help of others doesn't realy matter to me. What matters is that it will recover and about that I'm sure.
The Kobe effect showed an drastic boom and growth in the aftermath. Most investors in Japan are Japanese and as reported on the news, lot of Japanese investors who invested into projects abroad withdrew their money there to support the repair and rebuild plans.
In other countries people might not give a dann if there would be an catastrophe in a federal state or prefecture. In other countries people might just think about themselves or start looting evacuated areas. Not so in Japan - if there is one nation that can overcome such an severe disaster then its Japan and the Japanese people.
The Kobe effect showed an drastic boom and growth in the aftermath. Most investors in Japan are Japanese and as reported on the news, lot of Japanese investors who invested into projects abroad withdrew their money there to support the repair and rebuild plans.
In other countries people might not give a dann if there would be an catastrophe in a federal state or prefecture. In other countries people might just think about themselves or start looting evacuated areas. Not so in Japan - if there is one nation that can overcome such an severe disaster then its Japan and the Japanese people.
If I get a visa from speaking English countries Ill leave Japan definitely! Plus job support much appreciated
Why I live in Japan coz only one country accepts me to stay
lol
I guess Japan is/was a safe country, clean and very convenient to live so people dont think to leave thats same as American and British who I heard never been abroad,lol
Why I live in Japan coz only one country accepts me to stay
lol
I guess Japan is/was a safe country, clean and very convenient to live so people dont think to leave thats same as American and British who I heard never been abroad,lol
Most Japanese may consider it still safer as separated area from place where atomic accidents have taken place.
For people who live far away outside of atomic accident area, I think that they do not have to move to another country right away even if atomic accident is very extremely dangerous. We believe that Japanese will overcome this catastrophe in the future.
On the other hand I have seen tons of vegetables and fruits remain unsold at many supermarkets in Japan. Because such vegetables are growing in round or near atomic accident place, so people might avoid getting them.
Although I write comment like this, it was appearing to me when I lived in Japan a few months ago.
There are still many problems to be scared of it.
For people who live far away outside of atomic accident area, I think that they do not have to move to another country right away even if atomic accident is very extremely dangerous. We believe that Japanese will overcome this catastrophe in the future.
On the other hand I have seen tons of vegetables and fruits remain unsold at many supermarkets in Japan. Because such vegetables are growing in round or near atomic accident place, so people might avoid getting them.
Although I write comment like this, it was appearing to me when I lived in Japan a few months ago.
There are still many problems to be scared of it.
I think the more interesting question would be: for the Japanese who have left Japan, under what conditions would they deem it safe to return? It will take several more months for things at Fukushima to be under better control, and potentially a year for affected reactors to be considered in 'cold shutdown'. And there remains the question of what happens at already-contaminated areas. Going forward, radioactive seawater will spread, and radioactive sediment will affect likely affect marine life for some time to come. The tsunami as well contaminated a lot of farmland--and I for one don't have faith in the government's scope of vision: how many cars were washed inland, each laden with lead-acid batteries? How many of these batteries spilled their toxic soup into the land, and who is testing for heavy metal contamination--or for other contaminants? And we have to wait and see how disease will be mitigated as soon as the weather warms up north.
So many unanswered questions--so many things to do. If you are a Japanese who's fled abroad, how long do you intend to stay abroad? A month more? Years? Indefinitely?
So many unanswered questions--so many things to do. If you are a Japanese who's fled abroad, how long do you intend to stay abroad? A month more? Years? Indefinitely?
What an odd topic. Isn't not leaving one's home country basically the default situation?
And for what it's worth, a lot of my Japanese colleagues went to visit relatives in western Japan for a week or two after the quake. Not everyone reacts the same way to this sort of thing, and not everyone felt at the time the way they feel now.
And for what it's worth, a lot of my Japanese colleagues went to visit relatives in western Japan for a week or two after the quake. Not everyone reacts the same way to this sort of thing, and not everyone felt at the time the way they feel now.
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