It’s 9:30pm and I am outside, standing in the freezing cold, waiting to cross the pedestrians sign because it’s red light. There is no car passing by or anybody walking around. I was waiting for the green light to cross and head to my residence hall. While waiting, I was just thinking, “you know, I could just walk through, nobody is around to see me anyway!” I found myself laughing so hard under my face mask but not loud enough to disturb the quietness of the night.

I was laughing because back home I would have done that.  It’s actually a safer option, especially at night as something bad can happen to you when you are all alone and “just standing there.” It’s not my intention to compare Tanzania and Japan in the sense that one must reproduce the other’s value system. My intention, instead, is to highlight the importance of a national culture brewed out of each society’s circumstances.

I have been away from home, Tanzania, and staying in Tokyo, Japan, for about 2 months now for my studies. Within this very short time of my stay here, I have come to learn so many interesting behaviors and a lifestyle that is worth pondering, especially when it’s all connected together. For some time now, it got me thinking how the Japanese ‘collective conscience’ has managed to survive in a ‘modern’ world. The way they have continued to collectively agree on what is right and wrong and sustain their group culture and practices is incredible.

Making reference to the classical sociologist, Emile Durkheim, collective conscience is very strong in what he called ‘mechanical solidarity’, a type of solidarity which exists in a small, simple, and homogenous society. Japan is one of the economically advanced countries in the world and the level of ‘modernity’ manifests in its use of science and technology. Its interaction with the outside world is also wide. Yet it still feels relative homogenous and so close together, like the Hadzabe society in rural Tanzania who have managed to maintain their homogeneity and lifestyle that is primarily ‘hunter-gatherer’ for a very long time.

The people here live as if everyone is watching each other and seem careful with adhering to the shared norms. I don’t want to be too general and conclusive, but my observation on how they conduct themselves in their office spaces, business places, sports grounds, and public transport impresses me enough to comment on their behavior. Of course, generally the Japanese are still so much guided and obedient to their religious ideas. The majority adhere to Shintoism, followed by Buddhism that co-exist together and the philosophy of Confucius.

Despite the changes that make many Japanese move away from these traditions, they are still deeply rooted in their ways of life. These religious traditions emphasize on the value of humanity, interdependence, communal life, discipline, love for the country and family, loyalty, dedication to duty, and learning. It’s these values which guide their social practices, their social bond, and their social development as a society. Simple acts such as crossing the road at a pedestrian sign when it’s green light or children cleaning the sports ground when they are done playing or not talking loud in a train or bus reflect the obedience of Japanese to the defined rules within their community.

The Japanese have made it clear on the things they value most as a society. They have also made sure they construct social norms and practices that abide by those values. It’s very important to acknowledge how these values and social practices have succeeded to build this society the way it is now.

I remember when I first got to the university after two weeks of quarantine in a hotel. I was given a big green file with all the important documents that contained instructions on how to conduct myself during my time here. While going through it, I came across a document of about 16 pages, explaining how to separate and dispose trash.

During the first weeks, I was literally reading the document while separating the burnable, the unburnable, cans and bottles trash and even took it with me to the trash bins just to make sure I was doing everything right. In Japan, the process of trash disposal is considered very important and lawfully guided. The result of this behavior is seen in the neatness of the streets here in Tokyo which is astonishing.

The persistency of this form of morality in a ‘modern’ world shows that in Japan, family is still a very strong institution in internalizing these values to the children. Think of child upbringing in a Japanese family, starting from when a child is learning the language. The Japanese language reflects the formal and casual relationships of the Japanese and the polite gestures of interaction. So, for a child, it’s not only about learning the language, but also the parents or guardians making sure they are learning to be respectful and modest towards others and the environment that surrounds them. Conformity of Japanese to these social practices also emphasize their valuing of genuineness and trustworthiness geared towards building a harmonious society.

I am not saying we don’t teach our children these norms where I come from. We actually do and disciplining a child is defined as good parenting. But my thinking is that here it’s not only about teaching them. It’s more of how important it is to have and share these norms collectively. Child upbringing has to serve the needs of the society and needs that are clearly defined.

Another simple reflection, it’s very normal to see people queueing up for the escalator when they get off the train at the subway. They line up on the left side of the stairs and leave the right side for those in a hurry to run down and get on with their business. This high regard for others is reflected everywhere, every day, by children and adults, making life easy for everyone.

I understand even Japanese can have their own fault as a society, but what I am putting forward is the fact that they have their sense of identity and a set of expectations and have succeeded to build a culture that contributes to their social progress. Neither am I making any conclusions nor robust generalizations. Rather, I am only sharing my thoughts on collective values and practices and social progress that I have seen since coming here.

I am just wondering what if Tanzania could reflect itself as a society and redefine its values ‘clearly’ and internalize them to achieve beyond individual gain and towards collective gain, won’t we build our ‘national culture’ and perhaps witness our rapid social progress?

Copyright

Udadisi has used the free photo of a road in Osaka, Japan from: https://pixabay.com/photos/japan-osaka-pedestrians-crossing-2014616/