On the Lack of Home-Grown National Organizations in Japan
Last time I talked about how Japan functioned pretty well as a modern democracy, despite some irksome problems. One area that's always struck me as odd is the lack of large-scale domestic organizations in Japan. Groups like Greenpeace, AARP, the NRA or the ACLU work to further the various political or social goals they've set for themselves, but when I try to find a similar large-scale national organization that tries to increase the visibility of a particular cause in Japan, I frankly come up short. I can only think of a few national-level groups, such as Japan Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, the Japan Lions Club, or the Japan Rotary Association, and all of them are imported from other countries. It seems counter-intuitive to say that the group-oriented Japanese aren't good at making groups, but it does seem that "organic" groups conceived in Japan tend to not grow beyond a certain size. I'm not sure why this is, although the general "top-down" nature of ideas in Japan, with change always emanating out of Tokyo rather than from the outside in, probably plays a big role.
posted by Peter in Japan at 8:30 PM
3 Comments:
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9:41 PM
I've also wondered about the difference between a group-centric society like Japan and most Asian countries, and an individual-centric society that western societies are often depicted as.
My theory is that society evolves balancing mechanism. In idio-centric societies where the laws and the government protect the rights of the individuals, groups of like-minded individuals find themselves naturally forming groups to protect their rights and advance their group goals and objectives.
However, where the laws, government, or society give greater weight to the greater good of the collective, then there is less pressure or need for national organisations.
There is probably more need for individuals to exercise their individuality, or to watch out for their self-interest.
11:43 PM
I am not sure. One reason is hard to pin down but it seems like "deru kui wa utareru" (the standing nail is driven) is at work. Any single group that tried to be bigger than other groups would get hammered by them, thus the only ones that can attain that special status are the ones pre-anointed, like the Rotarians. Also, Japanese dislike joining groups with extreme agendas like the NRA or Greenpeace (to pick opposites so no one accuses me of bias ^_^) for the same reason they aren't extremely religious, Aum Shinrikyo notwithstanding. Still, you'd think there could be, say, a major Zainichi Korean organization that would actually do something to forward the rights of their group. If there is one they're not very good at PR...
12:28 AM
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