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Title: A comparative analyses of the Japanese and Western perspective of indebtedness
Date: August 7th 2013
Introduction
This paper is based on an analysis from the book “The Chrysanthemum and the Sword” that was written by Ruth Benedict who is an anthropologist. The paper presents a comparative analysis with a guide from the text of the Japanese and western perspective of ineptness. The ideas presented in this paper have been researched and gathered from the book and personal interpretation and understanding of the book. The paper will present a description of different societies in the west and how they perceive debts and the issue of paying debts. The issue of indebtedness is closely associated with community believes, as different communities approach paying debt differently. This paper will also draw the close relationship between communities believes and actions in paying debt. Communities in Japan show very contrasting ideologies and all that is covered in this paper.
Debt is viewed differently by both Americans and Japanese; this is majorly affected by the communal setting. Americans hold the view that they owe their existence to no person while Japanese pay allegiance and feel to be in debt of the people who lived before them. This presents different approaches to debt between two communities; Japanese view themselves as debtors to the ages. This means that they owe their existence to those who lived in the world before them. Americans take a different approach to this, viewing themselves as heirs of the age; we exist by our own right and have ourselves to thank.
Debtors to ages
This is an approach to debt in Japan, with great reasoning behind it. Those who existed and lived before us played a great role in maintaining a place that we would find. They took good care of the environment for us to find a better place, took part in research and inventions to make life easier. We enjoy life and go through our day to day activities more easily because of the efforts of those who lived before us. The ages are our ancestors and we are their debtors in this approach. Taking thought into this, it makes sense to be grateful for finding a wonderful place where we can call home. The fact cannot be stressed enough that we are somehow here because of those who lived before us, our ancestors and by this virtue we are debtors.
Heirs of ages
Our existence does not make us debtors by any virtue, not to our ancestors and not to those who live in our generation. We are free to take our actions just like those who came before us were free to live and exist. Our definition of debt is an obligation, which arises from a situation in which we take part in. this provides for free existence, naturals; we come into this world to inherit and by this fact we are heirs of ages. We inherit from those who lived before us and are free to make what we want of our existence.
The meaning of the word debt in Japanese context is of great importance in understanding the communal belief of debt. According to Japanese, debt is a duty and obligation of the debtor to a person who has done him/her well and contributed to their existence. There are two parties in the case; the debtor is a person who has a greater ability than the creditor. The debtor assists the creditor because of his/her high standing in society. An example of such a relationship is that between a child and his parents, a parent is a debtor to a child because of all that the parent does to maintain the welfare of the child. Being raised by your parents and given a good life in all that is within their abilities makes you owe your parents. This is a communal belief by Japanese, based on the definition and understanding of the word debt.
In the west, debt has a different meaning and communities approach it with a different perspective. There is a distinction between debt and moral duty; in Africa it is the moral duty of a child to obey the parents. The moral duty further extends to bind the child to take care of his parents when they get old, and to support them financially as a symbol of gratitude. Sometimes a child is not as successful or as prosperous as his parents and may not be able to support them financially but does not dishonor them. This is not seen as breaking the moral duty. This is a significant comparison between the definition and idea of debt as a word. What the Japanese see as debt, in the west is termed as a moral duty and responsibility.
In the battlefield, soldiers were served with many things including cigarettes and water here they were put in debt. This brings a new understanding to the word debt in a Japanese context; you can get into debt involuntarily. This shows that according to the definition of debt, aid can put you in debt, while you are working in the interests of your creditor. The scenario where soldiers are termed as creditors for receiving supplies form the king contrasts the initial understanding of the word debt. It is difficult to understand how one gets into debt for receiving what they require when in the battlefield. The soldiers are in the battlefield to defend their country, but Japanese have a different view on this. Soldiers are said to be working for the emperor and whatever they do in during the war is for the emperor.
The scenario is different for soldiers in the west. Soldiers go to battle to defend the borders of their nation and to fight the enemy of their nation. The act of going to war is not for the king of the land to take glory or vest his own interests but soldiers go to war to protect the interests of the entire country. During war, soldiers are entitled to getting supplies and this does not put them at debt. Debt is not something you can get into involuntarily; you have to consent to get into a debt. It is the duty of the country, whose interests are being protected to provide the soldiers in war with supplies. After the war and the soldier come back home with victory, the state rewards them to show appreciation. Rewards to soldiers are not to imply payment of any form of debt; they imply that the state appreciates the services of the soldiers and their bravery.
In Japanese a sign of help has to be reciprocated with words of appreciation, the debtor has to thank the creditor or his helper for any help received. However, the words that are used to express appreciation for kind action are quite contradicting and paint a different picture from that of being assisted. From a direct simple translation of the words used to express gratitude, the message passed by the debtor is that of receiving not help but a burden. This brings another understanding to the word debt in the Japanese context, a debt is a burden placed on you.
Kino doku
This is one word that is used to express appreciation by the Japanese, this when translated is an expression of a bad feeling. The word, though an expression of gratitude is used only in specific scenarios for example when a stranger helps you and you are not able to pay them back or do a similar generous act. By saying Kino doku, you will be expression the situation that you find yourself in of being assisted but not in a position to do the same. This presents a feeling of self-pity, that you are more of a receiver than a giver.
Arigato and Sumimasen
These are other words that are used to express gratitude in Japanese; the translation of these words also would not bring out the meaning of appreciation to a person from the western world. Both terms are used in a business setting to compliment and show thankfulness to a store owner. When translated, they mean, a difficult feeling that a debtor will never forget. It is a never ending feeling of gratitude; this presents a different image of a burden and commitment. A debtor is burdened and should always remember his creditor. The words of appreciation indicate that the debtor knows that he may never have the chance to pay back or reciprocate the actions of kindness shown to him.
In the west, showing appreciation is quite different and the meaning is presented with the actual words. Thank you is a word used to show express gratitude for help for serviced rendered. A debt is not a burden and the debtor is not in any way committed to the creditor. A person who has been helped, though may not have a chance to go the same and help his debtor is not obliged to always remember. People tend to forget those who helped them when they were in needy situations and they move on with life. The intention of helping someone is not to make him always remember you but to remove him from the current situation to a better situation so that he can help himself in future and help others. The cause of helping people in Japanese is different from that in the West, in Japanese a difficult feeling is created after helping someone and may express regret while in the west an uplifted feeling is created and sincere gratitude is expressed.
On
This presents a relationship and the nature of the relationship between a debtor and a creditor. There is a relationship that is formed when a person helps another, in the Japanese context, on is the simple word that presents all the relationships that may emerge. On could represent, Loyalty, Love and Obligations from the debtor to the creditor. In an example, you have an on to your parents, you are a debtor and this could mean you have an obligation to love and be loyal to them. The on will show the relationship, this may be quite confusing as one word could stand for so many meanings.
On comes with many implications, which we from the West may call consequences and this is the reason why Japanese may not accept a kind offer from a stranger. It poses a demand for you to feel obligated to be loyal to a person who showed you kindness at one time, you may not remember all strangers who helped you while in a difficult situation. Remember, debt is a burden in Japan, and you have to carry this burden everywhere you go for this reason nobody wants to carry a burden from a stranger. A person is more likely to accept a favor or an action of kindness from a relative or a close neighbor because he can bear the burden and at one time will be close enough to reciprocate. This shows the fear of consequences of being in debt to the extent of refusing to accept help.
The expression of gratitude and saying thank you in Japanese is done with humility. A person who is saying thank you expresses humbleness in the words used to thank and at the same time is apologetic. This is the ultimate symbol of being grateful, being sorry that you have been helped. In the west a person may say thank you just to show courtesy and not necessarily humility. The feeling of being helped does not make a person feel sorry rather it makes them feel joyful. Thank you is not only used to show gratitude but also show courtesy in the west. Appreciation does not necessarily make you feel sorry for yourself rather it bring joy. This is a great difference between the two cultures, the expression of gratitude and the feeling of help on the debtor. Here two different situations express the same feeling.
Summary
We see two cultures with a similar feeling of debt but with different approaches, due to the difference in understanding. While the west debt and indebtedness is an obligation only if financial and entered to if both parties are in consent, the situation is different in Japanese. A debt can be entered into even when the debtor does not agree or is not in consent of the debt. Simple actions of kindness can make you debtor, once you accept the kindness. This creates a situation where people are resentful in receiving help, in fear of being in debt.
A child and parent scenario; in Japanese, a child is a debtor to his parents for being raised and receiving a good life. In the west, a child has a moral obligation to be loyal and hold a special place in his heart for his parents and being raised does not make him a debtor. Even when a parent single handedly raises his children, educating them and providing for them, he is performing his duty and not helping the child. However in Japanese, when a parent raises the children, it is not his duty but it is a debt being made.
