The Hidden Truth Behind Japan’s Perception of Kindness
You brought up an intriguing question: “Why are Japanese people considered nice?”
First, I want to clarify your question a little. I feel that what you meant is this: “Why do foreigners think the Japanese are ‘nice’?”.
Hopefully, I interpreted your question correctly. And truthfully, it is an interesting question. I’ve worked abroad and worked with both International and Japanese colleagues throughout my life. But never have I thought that the Japanese were “nicer” than my international colleagues. Sometimes, it was actually the opposite, where my International colleagues were much more accepting.
And yet, they still claim that the Japanese are “nicer”
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So, I say we start by describing what it means when we say the word ‘nice’.
What is our definition of “nice”?
To me, “nice’” is a way to describe a person that is both calm and modest. They act in the good-will [1] of others in mind and are motivated by an intrinsic desire to act.
While for you, connotes a lack of identity and self-expression. This identification fits well with what you often see[2], is it not?
And yes, the meaning of being “nice” differs per individual. Even the little things can be picked up as ‘nice’ by some and ‘normal’ by others.
But here is something that accommodates both my definition and your experiences. Japanese people are merely polite and are not entitled to being ‘nice’.
This fits my definition and I feel you can relate to this. You know that they are ‘friendly’ and ‘kind’ but it sometimes feels forced, does it not?.
Constantly being pushed by societal norms/rules and being enforced to never misbehave. They are ‘polite’ and not necessarily ‘nice’.
So now, let’s get into the 2 points why the Japanese are considered polite
- The continuous production of rice. (For those who have read the prior post, yes rice has returned)
- The hidden costs of being an isolated country. The downfalls of geographical location.
Let’s start with our 1st point: the almost ridiculous obsession with production of rice [3]
In comparison to other common grains, rice provides the greatest return in investment. Even with smaller fractions of land, massive amounts of returns can be yielded. Estimated to be around 8,000 ~ 10,000 pounds of rice per acre, triple that of wheat (2,400 ~ 3,600 pounds).
And for an island nation like Japan, who has limited land, the high yield of return is ideal. Thus there are many rice-fields and farmers residing within Japan.
But of-course, with great returns comes the requirement of tremendous work.
Most difficult of all is controlling the water-flow into the paddy fields [4]. Maintaining the same height among the paddies is especially difficult with the water source coming from the river. Farmers must adjust the slight differences in height until they’re uniform.
Take a look at the image you see above. What you see is a rice-field in the mountainous regions of Japan.
And here is the question I want you to consider.
“If you were the owner of the paddy in the lower-parts, what do you need the most?”.
I’ll give you some time to think about it
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Your answer?
Yes, what you need the most is WATER. You would need to convince the members of the upper-parts that you are ‘part-of-their-group’ and thus indispensable. Even if you are the best cultivator or harvester, nothing will get done without water.
For that, you need to help those of the upper-parts first. Make them satisfied and like you so that you will get water in return. But be careful, promote yourself too much and you will be thrown out. No more water, no more rice.
This is what the Japanese have had to experience for millennia. That’s what is believed to have been the cause of the Japanese’s collaborative and modest mindset.
But the question arises: “Why not the same happen for Korea and China?”. Rice is also their staple food, yet they are unlike that of Japan. That’s where we get into our second point.
Our second point: Japan is an isolated country and has historically had little influence from the outside world.
Thanks to geography, Japan has been able to avoid invasions throughout much of history. Without invasions, Japan has faced little to no significant changes in both culture and mindset. This assumes that when countries are invaded, the nation is forced to go through significant changes. You can look at both China and Korea[5] to confirm the statement for yourself.
And this has led to Japan’s seclusion for much of history, all the way up to WW2.
However… there is one exception.
A failed invasion by the Mongol Empire in the late 12th century. The attempted invasion was a mass of 800 ~ 900 ships carrying 16,000 ~ 40,000 soldiers. Their order? Conquer Japan. For context, Japan in comparison had a measly 4,000 ~ 6,000 soldiers.
They sailed from the Korean Peninsula, a mere 200km away from what is now the prefecture of Fukuoka. I say 200km like it’s nothing, but back then, it would take days to reach their destination. It’s another testimony to the progress we have made over the years.
From the numbers alone, it seemed like Japan would be at an utter loss.
Well… the story takes a turn here. With some clever strategies and lucky weather on their side, the Japanese stopped the invasion.
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Japan’s geographical isolation has stopped even the strongest empires from invading Japan. Pretty crazy right???!.
Okay I will side-track here a little, but I want to mention the UK. The UK is similar to Japan in that they are a island country, so they are a valuable mention. Even though the UK is similar, they are much closer to the nearest continent, 30km to be exact. With that proximity, the UK has been able to foster deep connections and trade throughout history. That’s part of the reason why the UK is so diverse!?.
And because of that, they are uniquely different compared to Japan.
Our conclusion.
The geographic isolation and constant peer pressure to “collaborate” is what creates the “politeness”. Japanese people must have intrinsically believed back then that, if they didn’t collaborate, they would die.
And this “politeness” is what my international colleagues picked up as “nice”. In essence, this “collaborative” and somewhat “isolate” behavior represented by the Japanese is being misunderstood.
The misunderstanding is what is being spread. Don’t get me wrong, they’re are truly nice people, but it’s not the case most of the time.
I hope this has helped answer your question, even a little bit.
[1] : friendly, cooperative or in general a positive attitude/disposition.
[2] : experience working as a retail shop employee. Being “polite” was the norm, and you had to deject yourself from your own identity. But this is truly common among many jobs in all different parts of the world. It’s not something unique or new, just an experience that was picked up.
[3] : Check out our 3rd post on pessimism and rice-cultivating culture. Check it out.
[4] : Even levels of water is required to support rice growth, ensuring nutrient availability and to control the growth of weeds. There are more reasons, but these are the most crucial ones — in my opinion of course. (I can be wrong too, feel free to comment your opinions)