United Nations Human Development Report 2007
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
JapanIceland
SwitzerlandAustralia
SpainSwedenCanada
IsraelItalyFrance
New Zealand
NorwayAustriaSingapore
NetherlandsGermany
MaltaCyprus
United Kingdom
FinlandGreeceBelgiumCosta Rica
Ireland
Luxembourg
United Arab Emirates
Chile
DenmarkKorea
United States
Life Expectancy (years)
510
1520
25
30
HEALTH OLYMPICS 2005
Demilitarization, DecentralizationDemocratization
Abolish the military "the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as a means of settling international disputes”
Free universal education,
Right of workers to organize and bargain collectively
Right of everyone "to maintain the minimum standards of wholesome and cultured living."
Break up corporate conglomerates (zaibatsu)
Land reform jinushi (landlords) kosakumin (tenants)
Democratization (Revise constitution )Feature a peace clause
– "the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as a means of settling international disputes”
Academic freedom, Free universal education, Right of workers to organize and bargain collectivelyRight of everyone "to maintain the minimum standards of wholesome
and cultured living."
Decentralization
Break up corporate conglomerates (zaibatsu)– "concentration of economic control enabled the zaibatsu
to continue a semi-feudal relationship between themselves and their employees, suppress wages, and hinder the development of independent political ideologies. Thus the formation of the middle class, which was useful in opposing the militarist group in other democratic countries, was retarded.” (US mission)
Land reform jinushi (landlords) kosakumin (tenants)
MacArthur MedicineAcademic freedom,
Free universal education,
Right of workers to organize and bargain collectively
Maximum Wage (65,000 yen in 1947 ~ $4333)
Decentralization including breaking up zaibatsu
and land reform (father had advocated in Philippines)
"Controlled revolution"
Cultural InfluencesNorth America East Asia
INTERDEPENDENT SELF Texts: "Confucious, TaoNarratives: story of benevolence, diligenceMoral imperatives: compassion of Buddha, modesty
INDEPENDENCE OF SELF make CHOICES
Texts: "declaration of
independence-"all created equal"
Narratives: story of Mayflower
Moral imperatives: "God helps
those who help themselves"
和 wa In Japanese society acting untrue to one's inner beliefs is not only
accepted but is it's own moral virtue. The most important of all Japanese social values is "wa," or harmony. If achieving wa requires a bit of play-acting, then so be it. The Japanese distinguish between "honne"--one's true feelings--and "tatemae"--the face one wears in public. When your honne is at odds with the harmony of the group, a mature, virtuous person is expected to rise above his or her own selfish feelings and, for the welfare of the majority, put on a good face. To "stick up for what you stand for" is not a Japanese ideal. Most Japanese understand there's a difference between this public play-acting and reality, but nearly everyone is agreed upon its importance. In other words, what Americans may perceive as hypocritical, dishonest behavior is not only tolerated in Japan, but esteemed as good citizenship.
Robert Levine: Associate Dean, College of Science and Mathematics,
Professor of Psychology, California State University Fresno
和 wa Some of the subtleties might be lost by an American
reader. My understanding is that the tatemae is not "faking it" but more, adhering to an understood social code. The other person also understands the code, so the true feelings are not really the issue, but rather the choice the person is making to uphold the code and honor the group connection rather than the personal if they are in conflict. That choice in itself is a true personal statement. It's not "fake" if everyone knows the code.
Ann Glusker PH S/KC Japanese father, English mother
USA JapanAge 232 years 140 years
(or 2669 years)Health Olympics Ranking (2004) 30 1
1960 13 231950 top 5 <35th
Health Care system% of GNP spent on Health 16.2 7.1
% of world health bill ~50 11 (% world population) 4.6 2.1
Health Behaviorsmale smoking prevalence (%) 26.7 52.8
Smoking Attributable Deaths (1999)male aged 35-69 (%) 33 16
CEO-Boss/Average Worker Salary Gap (2003)531 to 1 10 to 1
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, National Income and Product Accounts, Table 2.1, Personal Income and Its Disposition.
U . S . P e r s o n a l S a v i n g R a t e , 1 9 4 9 - 2 0 0 6
1 9 4 9 : 5 . 0 %
1 9 8 2 : 1 1 . 2 %
2 0 0 6 : - 1 . 1 %
- 2 %
0 %
2 %
4 %
6 %
8 %
1 0 %
1 2 %
1 9 4 9 1 9 5 4 1 9 5 9 1 9 6 4 1 9 6 9 1 9 7 4 1 9 7 9 1 9 8 4 1 9 8 9 1 9 9 4 1 9 9 9 2 0 0 4
Japan Wage Diff. Rank, Gender 90-04Wages (1000 yen)
1990 1995 2000 2004 90-04 % inc
General Mgr 573 628 636 633 10.5
Manager 459 512 517 515 12.3
Section Chief 346 386 401 389 12.3
No rank 20-24 174 198 204 203 16.6
General Mgr 522 531 575 585 12
Manager 361 404 437 429 18.7
Section Chief 290 332 344 346 19.3
No rank 20-24 157 183 191 192 22.2
Japanese unions and wages"Firms leveraged cooperative relations with workers
Unions organized at company level, so strong sense of purpose with management
Firms have preserved employment security in exchange for wage restraint
Firms have maintained sense of equity by restraining compensation for managers even more than for blue-collar and clerical workers so wages have varied inversely with rank"
Vogel (2006): Japan remodeled : how government and industry are reforming Japanese capitalism Cornell University Press
1 5 3 9 8 19
79 91
164172
0
50
100
150
200
Tax in $1,000
'$45K '$63K '$89K '$270K '$446K
Income levels in $1,000(K)
Comparion of tax burden on a married couple with two dependents by income levels between Japan and
U.S.A. in 2001Japanese Americans
Note: Tax includes federal, state and local income taxes.
Sources: Motohide Hashimoto from http://higashimi.ld.infoseek.co.jp/zeikokusaihikaku1.htm
Tax burden Namekata
Mea
n P
erce
nt C
orre
ctM
ean
Per
cent
Cor
rect
Percentile Rank of Father’s OccupationPercentile Rank of Father’s Occupation
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
1 11 22 26 38 42 53 69 71 81 91
JapanCanadara ce
dew ZealanThailandU.S.A.
92
Mean Score on Total BatterySecond International Mathematics Second International Mathematics
StudyStudy
12 month prevalence of DSM disordersAmericas Anxiety Mood Impulse-Control Substance Any Serious
United States 18.2 9.6 6.8 3.8 26.4 7.7Asia
Japan 5.3 3.1 1 1.7 8.8 1.5
JAMA June 4, 2004.
Depression in Japan (Inaba 2005)
US has more depression
US and Japanese women more depressed than men
Related to income in both countries
Not inversely related to level of education unlike US
US: education is route to increased income and status with complexity and autonomy linked to education
Japan: education gains entry to firms & occupations
advancement depends on size, status of company with age, seniority, family needs (married, dependents) determine promotions, earnings, (have strong in-house training in job skills, not education)
Japan Status: (Inaba 2005)
Japan a status inconsistent society (education, income, occupational prestige not closely tied to subjective class identification)
"nenko" system (upward mobility with seniority), in-house welfare services, corporate support for families (sweeper invites boss to child's b-day party)
National social programs (social security, pension plans, nursing insurance) act as safety nets for most citizens lessening vulnerability to stressful life experiences
Health Care & Public Health in JapanMedical School training
– No patient contact throughout entire period– Can go out and practice, never having touched a patient
Average doctor sees 75+ patients a day– No appointments (3 hour wait, 3 minute consultation)
Hospital stays– Very long (~ one month)– Must supply own cup for a drink, chopsticks for meals– Men shower on M, W, F, women the other days– Toilets down the hall, must supply soap, towel and shampoo
Appendectomies (more common than in US)– 60% of appendices removed were normal
Public health: 1000 measles deaths in 2002
PEACE CLAUSE US desired revision
Features a peace clause (Article 9)– "the Japanese people forever renounce war as a
sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as a means of settling international disputes”
SINCE END OF COLD WAR, US trying to get Japan to revise Article 9 of constitution which bans military or waging war
"NEW JAPAN NATIONALISM, unilateral revision of Article 9 would isolate Japan from all of Asia" (Fukuyama 0704)