An important Japanese value is giri, which refers to the “social obligation” and duty to act as expected by society (Wood, n.d). According to the Japanese Cultural Orientation (2011), children often feel “filial piety” which means to show kindness and respect to their parents and to people outside the home in order to emphasize the worthiness of their parents and ancestors. The Japanese are essentially loyal to their immediate family only. They truly believe in reciprocity as they keep a mental record of the values of gifts being given to them and when there is a special occasion the gift will be returned (Wood, n.d).

Social hierarchy is present and individuals are aware of their social status and position within their family, at school and at work (Japanese Cultural Orientation, 2011). Wood (n.d) explains that strong mutual support and trust is shown in the work place. Corporations provide grants to individuals who have pleaded for it or to those who demonstrated hard work (Wood, n.d). However, when a request is made and accomplished, the individual must return the favour later on (Wood, n.d). It is rare for Japanese corporations to fire their employees since they respect each other and believe their employees will return the favour (Wood, n.d).

Although gift-giving is unwritten, oftentimes it is necessary and can be seen as a ritual. In December, the Japanese celebrate “o-seibo”, which simply means the end of the year where they congratulate each other for enduring another year and to wish each other a happy new year (Japanese Cultural Orientation, 2011). During this celebration, they give gifts to families and employers in order to show appreciation for their help and kindness. A similar celebration happens in July called “o-chugen” where gifts are given in honour of one’s ancestors (Japanese Cultural Orientation, 2011). Generally, “o-seibo” and “o-chugen” gifts may include food or daily necessities such as fruit baskets or other sweets that are packaged nicely and overly priced (Japanese Cultural Orientation, 2011). Apparently, the gift wrapping is viewed just as important as the gift itself. Large gifts are usually wrapped in a cloth called “furoshiki” and the cloth can range from simple (cheap) fabric to expensive silk (Japanese Cultural Orientation, 2011). The gift also includes meaningful words and phrases to show gratitude. However, certain items should not be given due to its symbolic meaning. Footwear, watches, and writing utensils should be avoided since it symbolizes harm and bad luck (Japanese Cultural Orientation, 2011). Some flowers such as lilies, camellias, lotus blossoms and any white flowers in general should not be given since it symbolizes death and funerals (Japanese Cultural Orientation, 2011). Also, plotted plants are believed to trigger sickness therefore they should be avoided as well (Japanese Cultural Orientation, 2011).

The Japanese sincerely value politeness and gratitude. Overall, they respect each other and give gifts to families and employers on special occasions. However, it is rare for the Japanese to donate to organizations and to people they do not know since when they give, they expect something in return.

Works Cited
Japanese Cultural Orientation. (2011). Technology Integration Division, Defense Language
Institute Foreign Language Center. Retrieved from http://fieldsupport.dliflc.edu/products/japanese/co_ja/japanese.pdf
Wood, M. D., (n.d) “A Brief Introduction to Japanese Society,” Rutgers University, Department
of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice. Retrieved from http://crab.rutgers.edu/~deppen/Japan.htm

The Japanese people, historically influenced by ethical and religious beliefs of Buddhism, have responded as a collective community and remained altruistic in spite of recent devastations in their country. These characteristics have been personified by a group of elderly citizens who have volunteered to risk their lives in place of young workers for cleanup efforts at the heavily damaged Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

On March 11, 2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck approximately 130 km off the eastern coast of Japan, resulting in a devastating tsunami and widespread destruction of property and infrastructure. As of July, statistics by Earthquake-Report.com indicated a death toll of 15,588 with 5,133 still missing and hundreds of thousands left homeless. Dubbed as the worst natural disaster in the country’s history, the earthquake and tsunami left dangerous ripple effects on local nuclear power facilities, triggering explosions, fires and partial meltdowns, all of which have leaked dangerous levels of radiation.

In response to efforts to bring the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant under control, the Skilled Veterans Corp, a civic group formed mostly of former professionals all over the age of 60, lobbied the Japanese government to allow them to take the place of the younger workers. Yasuteru Yamada, the 72 year-old retired engineer who founded the group, recruited approximately 500 volunteers through word-of-mouth and his embracement of technology, e.g. e-mail and Twitter, to take on the task of risking radiation exposure. Kazuko Sasaki, also 72 years-old, explained her participation in the Skilled Veterans Corp as a moral obligation to the country’s future, “My generation built these nuclear plants, so we have to take responsibility for them. We cannot dump this on the next generation.”
But why would people risk exposure to high levels of radiation to help people they do not personally know? Religion has had a major influence on Japanese culture; particularly, Buddhism is a strong basis for philanthropic activities in the country. By volunteering one’s time and/or money, an individual would be acting in line with dhamma, “principles of behaviours that human beings ought to follow so as to fit in with the right natural order of things”. Charity is perhaps the greatest of virtues given that it “[displays] a person’s compassion, love, generosity and community mindedness”. Despite such benevolent acts, individuals are expected to do so for the sake of giving and not for any form of compensation (dāna).

Further, to some individuals and societies, the act of sacrificing one’s life for the greater good of the community, compounded by the fact that financial or material rewards are not expected in return, most definitely falls outside of commonly accepted principles of codified generosity in what is considered “appropriate” to give. Time, money or gifts are understood as typical acts of volunteerism7. Generosity in and of itself, of course, is not exclusive to the Japanese people; there are many historic and present examples of volunteerism and philanthropy all over the world, as well as those influenced by a variety of religions.

Some western media organizations have gone as far as to dub the Skilled Veterans Corp as the “suicide corps”. However, the volunteers do not view it in such a manner; instead, they consider their actions, perhaps the ultimate sacrifice, as the right thing to do in order to allow the next generation an opportunity to live their lives, just as the elderly have already lived theirs. As contested by one brave volunteer, “We have to work but never die”10.

Works Cited

1 Earthquake Report. (2011). Japan Tohoku tsunami and earthquake: The death toll is climbing again!. Retrieved from http://earthquake-report.com/2011/08/04/japan-tsunami-following-up-the-aftermath-part-16-june/.

2 Craft, L. (2011, July 4). Elderly Japanese volunteer for nuke cleanup. CBS News. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/07/04/earlyshow/main20076634.shtml.

3 Craft, L. (2011, Sept. 12). Japanese Seniors: Send Us To Damaged Nuclear Plant. NPR. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/2011/09/12/140402430/japanese-seniors-send-us-to-damaged-nuclear-plant?sc=17&f=1001.

4 Access to Insight. (2011). A Glossary of Pali and Buddhist Terms. Retrieved from http://www.accesstoinsight.org/glossary.html.

9 Lah, K. (2011, May 31). Japanese seniors volunteer for Fukushima ‘suicide corps’. CNN. Retrieved from http://articles.cnn.com/2011-05-31/world/japan.nuclear.suicide_1_nuclear-plant-seniors-group-nuclear-crisis?_s=PM:WORLD.

10 Buerk, R. (2011, May 31). Japan pensioners volunteer to tackle nuclear crisis. BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13598607.

The Japanese people, historically influenced by ethical and religious beliefs of Buddhism, have responded as a collective community and remained altruistic in spite of recent devastations in their country. These characteristics have been personified by a group of elderly citizens who have volunteered to risk their lives in place of young workers for cleanup efforts at the heavily damaged Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

On March 11, 2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck approximately 130 km off the eastern coast of Japan, resulting in a devastating tsunami and widespread destruction of property and infrastructure. As of July, statistics by Earthquake-Report.com indicated a death toll of 15,588 with 5,133 still missing and hundreds of thousands left homeless. Dubbed as the worst natural disaster in the country’s history, the earthquake and tsunami left dangerous ripple effects on local nuclear power facilities, triggering explosions, fires and partial meltdowns, all of which have leaked dangerous levels of radiation.

In response to efforts to bring the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant under control, the Skilled Veterans Corp, a civic group formed mostly of former professionals all over the age of 60, lobbied the Japanese government to allow them to take the place of the younger workers. Yasuteru Yamada, the 72 year-old retired engineer who founded the group, recruited approximately 500 volunteers through word-of-mouth and his embracement of technology, e.g. e-mail and Twitter, to take on the task of risking radiation exposure. Kazuko Sasaki, also 72 years-old, explained her participation in the Skilled Veterans Corp as a moral obligation to the country’s future, “My generation built these nuclear plants, so we have to take responsibility for them. We cannot dump this on the next generation.”

But why would people risk exposure to high levels of radiation to help people they do not personally know? Religion has had a major influence on Japanese culture; particularly, Buddhism is a strong basis for philanthropic activities in the country. By volunteering one’s time and/or money, an individual would be acting in line with dhamma, “principles of behaviours that human beings ought to follow so as to fit in with the right natural order of things”.Charity is perhaps the greatest of virtues given that it “[displays] a person’s compassion, love, generosity and community mindedness”. Despite such benevolent acts, individuals are expected to do so for the sake of giving and not for any form of compensation (dāna).

Further, to some individuals and societies, the act of sacrificing one’s life for the greater good of the community, compounded by the fact that financial or material rewards are not expected in return, most definitely falls outside of commonly accepted principles of codified generosity in what is considered “appropriate” to give. Time, money or gifts are understood as typical acts of volunteerism. Generosity in and of itself, of course, is not exclusive to the Japanese people; there are many historic and present examples of volunteerism and philanthropy all over the world, as well as those influenced by a variety of religions. As discussed during week 1, there is evidence that supports theories that “the act of giving without coercion” has been found to be a fundamental trait in human species, which is detailed in books such as Peter Singer’s “The Life You Can Save”.

Some western media organizations have gone as far as to dub the Skilled Veterans Corp as the “suicide corps”. However, the volunteers do not view it in such a manner; instead, they consider their actions, perhaps the ultimate sacrifice, as the right thing to do in order to allow the next generation an opportunity to live their lives, just as the elderly have already lived theirs. As contested by one brave volunteer, “We have to work but never die.”

Works Cited

Earthquake Report. (2011). Japan Tohoku tsunami and earthquake: The death toll is climbing again!. Retrieved from http://earthquake-report.com/2011/08/04/japan-tsunami-following-up-the-aftermath-part-16-june/.

Craft, L. (2011, July 4). Elderly Japanese volunteer for nuke cleanup. CBS News. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/07/04/earlyshow/main20076634.shtml.

Access to Insight. (2011). A Glossary of Pali and Buddhist Terms. Retrieved from http://www.accesstoinsight.org/glossary.html.

Japanese seniors volunteer for Fukushima ‘suicide corps’. CNN. Retrieved from http://articles.cnn.com/2011-05-31/world/japan.nuclear.suicide_1_nuclear-plant-seniors-group-nuclear-crisis?_s=PM:WORLD.

Japan pensioners volunteer to tackle nuclear crisis. BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13598607.

Japan is a nation rich in cultural traditions and history. Proper etiquette is an important part of daily life, stemming from centuries-old societal customs. Part of this etiquette is reflected in the giving of gifts for certain events. A very common example is the giving of “omiyage”, which in English translates to “souvenir”. It is expected that when one goes on a trip or vacation that he or she will bring back souvenirs for their co-workers.
​This tradition dates back to the Edo period (1603-1868) and, like many occasions of giving worldwide, involves religion. During an age when travel was time consuming and expensive, villages would pool money and appoint one or two people to make the journey to a famous shrine. These representatives would then return from their pilgrimage with a type of omiyage for everyone2. The gifts were usually charms or objects of religious significance relating to the area they had visited. It was thought the sacred experience they had had would be transferred to those who received the omiyage. Ensuring that the gift reflected the region visited was extremely important and is still part of the tradition today.

​When you go away on vacation, even for a weekend, it is expected that you will bring omiyage back for your co-workers. This is a way to keep the office harmony and show that the vacationer was thinking of his or her co-workers who were working hard in the office. Omiyage do not have be large or expensive gifts, but they are an example of “it’s the thought that counts” 1. Omiyage is usually edible, is wrapped nicely, and reflects the local specialities of the region visited. An average box of ten sweets can cost between 500 yen and 5000 yen ($6-$67 CAD) depending on the number of items, the wrapping, and where they were purchased1. There should be enough omiyage so that each co-worker receives at least one.

​My first exposure to this tradition of gift-giving was two years ago when I visited a friend, who was teaching English in Kobe, Japan. One of our weekend trips was to Miyajima to see the famous Itsukushima Shrine (known informally worldwide as the “shrine on the water”). While I was busy buying trinkets for friends and family, my friend was looking for a local edible speciality for her co-workers back in Kobe. She explained to me the cultural importance of buying omiyage as we wandered through the many tourist shops, trying to decide which treats looked the most appetizing. After much deliberation, we finally chose a beautifully wrapped box of maple cookies, a local specialty in
Miyajima.

​During my visit to Japan, I found there to be a wonderful balance between maintaining old customs and embracing contemporary values. It is impressive the Japanese have been able to hold on to so many of their historical traditions by adapting them to reflect today’s modern society. Omiyage is a perfect example of an ancient tradition that has changed over time to now be part of common business etiquette.

In Japan, there exists a strong history of charity towards pilgrims. Historically, this giving dates back to the time of Kobo Daishi. He was a Buddhist Saint in medieval Japanese society and emphasized that all people could achieve the “attainment of Buddhahood in this life.” To achieve this Buddhahood, one must participate in the Six Perfections, the first being, ‘to give’, that is through charitable giving.

It was believed that if you did a good dead, you would be rewarded and protected and vice versa, if you did a bad deed you would be punished. There were many folktales that spread with examples of how individuals were rewarded or punished. It was also believed that Kobo Daishi may still be living and traveling incognito on a pilgrimage. To provide for this great saint would be a very good deed and bring rewards to the provider. To turn away this disguised saint would bring harsh punishment to the person.

Throughout history there were a number of popular pilgrimage routes in Japan. Those who lived along the routes, or operated stores along them frequently donated items such as food, clothing, money and tobacco to pilgrims. The act of giving free alms to passing pilgrims is known as Settai.

Over time, the custom of giving to pilgrims spread and often the individuals along the pilgrimage routes formed charitable groups that would provide for the pilgrims. “For example, in the mid-eighteenth century, the Confraternity of the Sacred Dance’s group, which consisted of rich families from Kyōto, provided aid along the route to Ise” (Moreton, 1995, pg 22). In 1805, during the peak of the Ise Shine pilgrimage, an estimated 5 Million people donated goods, services, food and shelter to pilgrims.

Ian Reader, in his book Making Pilgrimages: meaning and practice in Shikoku discusses further reasons that people gave Settai to pilgrims. One is a sense of common feelings towards the pilgrims, as the giver may have been a pilgrim themselves at one time. Another is that by giving alms to pilgrims, one was essentially sharing in their pilgrimage and the religious benefits. This was especially important to those who could not participate in a pilgrimage themselves.

The pilgrims in Japan were a diverse group; young and old, male and female, rich and poor, nobility and commoners. There was no bias in giving and any pilgrim could receive Settai. No pilgrim was seen as more deserving than another of these charitable gifts.

Settai is an example of giving in Japan that is still a common practice today along the Shikoku route. Fodor’s travel guide for Japan recommends that if you do not have the time to walk the 1200 km Shikoku pilgrimage for yourself, you can still participate by offering some coins or other form of charity to pilgrims on their road to enlightenment. In modern times, the homeless population has also benefitted from Settai. Instead of living in the cities in poverty, the homeless will often become permanent pilgrims benefitting from charity along their route and being treated as holy men.

The strong belief in receiving rewards for giving has helped form a charitable tradition, the giving of Settai, which has lasted hundreds of years and still continues today.

Works Cited

Making pilgrimages: meaning and practice in Shikoku, Ian Reader, pg 120-128

http://books.google.com/books?id=xewPRcUD6hgC&pg=PA123&dq=settai+charity&cd=1

#v=onepage&q=&f=false

Fodors, Japan, pg 490

http://books.google.com/books?id=Kpp9TLRXApQC&pg=PA490&dq=settai+charity&cd=3

#v=onepage&q=settai%20charity&f=false

The History of Charitable Giving Along the Shikoku Pilgrimage Route, David C. Moreton, http://www.shikokuhenrotrail.com/shikoku/moretonThesisFrontmatter.pdf

Collcted writings of Carmen Blacker, Carmen Blacker

http://books.google.com/books?id=DmAk9GBjrhwC&pg=PA174&lpg=PA174&dq=

settai+charity&source=bl&ots=j6y1qCnWlP&sig=PggdZzf4iHlcNw_6_vDbv5NcA&hl=
en&ei=YMdcS_vpCoz6NY6VjPwO&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=
0CAsQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=settai%20charity&f=false

.

Philanthropy as we all know, it is a well known practice for the western culture, and thanks to the media we see more of these effort play important roles in our community and in people’s lives. Through our course discussions and personal perspective, I barely see a developed country like Japan strong involvements in these matters. This is why I chose to research on the Japanese culture and their ways and views on giving and charity.

Philanthropy involves free will to give and help others. The Japanese according to Baron (2000), are group oriented and therefore their view on philanthropy is towards who they know as to whom they do not know. Companies take care of their employees only and not even the community in which they are situated while public charities or donations in Japan is usually seen as the responsibility of the government as to individuals. An interview done by Hills (1992), on Japanese philanthropy reveals that, their view on philanthropy is focused towards factors that will benefit their economic status such as; science and technology. Voluntary giving is an unusual practice for the Japanese and might not know how to react but feel compelled to give back. Another topic touched by Hills (1992) mentioned that, most Japanese philanthropy is based on Confucianism, which is the “belief that one does not openly share his needs or problems” and also, an individual from Japan might be able to give to an unknown individual but will not make it public. However, since their interest on giving is based mainly on to gain profit and to build their economic and social status it will be difficult of a Japanese to donate to an unknown individual with whom no profit might be gained. Then again, there is not an exact meaning of the word charity in Japanese (Radin, 1995) so how do they become strong participants in something that they have no true meaning off? According to Hills (2000), the Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE) is one example that shows that they are improving. This organization takes donations to prepare Japanese for international participations.

Works Cited

Baron, F. B., (2000). Philanthropy in the World’s Traditions. The Journal of Asian Studies, 59(4), pp. 978-980. Retrieved January 23, 2010, from ProQest. (Document ID: 69725278).

Hillis, R., (1992). Japanese philanthropy: A cultural perspective. Fund Raising Management, 23 (4), pp. 19-20. Retrieved January 23, 2010, from ProQuest.

Radin, A. C., (1995). Japan’s take on giving Season points up approach to donations, volunteerism; [City Edition]. Boston Globe. Retrieved January 23, 2010, from ProQuest Newsstand (CDN). (Document ID: 21428087).