Are the “Bad Traits of Japanese People” Really Unique to Japan?

Recently, I have often written on my blog about the national character and mentality of Japanese people.

Then, while watching a YouTube video criticizing “the bad traits of Japanese people,” a question occurred to me.

Are most of the flaws being discussed really unique to the Japanese?

Or are they simply flaws in human beings?

Is Conformity Pressure Unique to Japan?

One frequently cited example is conformity pressure.

“Japanese people are easily influenced by those around them.” “They prioritize reading the room.” “As a result, Japan rushed headlong into World War II.”

I sometimes hear explanations like these.

But conformity pressure exists throughout the world.

In societies with strict religious rules, behaving differently from those around you may be condemned even more harshly than it is in Japan.

Looking at World War II, Japan was not the only country driven out of control by group psychology. The Nazis rose to power in Germany, and a substantial portion of the public supported their policies.

Does that mean Germans have the same national character as the Japanese?

Admittedly, some people do say that Japanese and Germans are similar. Both are said to be serious, meticulous, and respectful of discipline. Put that way, perhaps the comparison is not entirely incomprehensible.

But what about Italy, another Axis power?

I cannot think of a single characteristic that Italians and Japanese people are supposed to share.

In the arbitrary stereotype that comes to my mind, the Japanese and Germans arrive on time and stand in orderly lines while the Italians cheerfully drink wine beside them.

Even so, all three countries moved toward war under dictatorial regimes.

Similar forms of group behavior can occur even when national characters are different.

Human beings want to belong to groups. They fear being excluded. They find it easier to agree with the people around them.

That sounds less like a Japanese trait than a basic feature of human nature.

National Character as a Convenient Explanation

When you think about it, saying “because they are Japanese” is extremely convenient.

Japanese people are serious.

Japanese people are good at acting as a group.

Japanese people are vulnerable to conformity pressure.

Whatever problem occurs, the single phrase “national character” seems to explain it.

But even the same human beings behave differently depending on their environment.

People will naturally act differently in a society where opposing those around them could cost them their jobs than in one where they can freely change employers.

The same is true when comparing a society with strong religious norms and one that emphasizes individual freedom.

In other words, although basic human psychology may be similar everywhere, social structures influence how that psychology appears on the surface.

Is it not a little careless to explain all of this away as national character?

This Applies to My Own Blog Too

In fact, this is also a point of self-reflection for me.

When writing a blog post, beginning with “Japanese people are…” is extremely convenient.

It is easy for readers to understand and easy for the writer to develop into an argument.

But convenience does not guarantee accuracy.

Something I assumed was a uniquely Japanese problem may turn out, after a little research, to be a common human trait found throughout the world.

The question we should really ask may not be, “Why are Japanese people like this?” but rather, “Why does this trait appear in this particular form within the Japanese environment?”

That is a significant difference.

If we treat national character as the cause, our thinking stops there.

But if we separate common human psychology from the social environment, we may be able to see more deeply into the issue.

I want to keep that distinction in mind when writing future blog posts.

Then again, a title like “The Bad Traits of Japanese People” would probably attract far more readers than “The Interaction Between Universal Human Psychological Tendencies and the Social Environment.”

Human beings leap at simple explanations.

Apparently, that is not a flaw unique to the Japanese either.