Despondent Japan rediscovers its own virtues after quake
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It's understandable that many earthquake victims are angry at the Japanese government after the disaster. But I oppose one-sided criticism of the Japanese government, considering the enormous scope of the natural disaster and the urgency of the nuclear crisis.
Some blamed the government for giving too much priority to dealing with the radiation leak and neglecting the importance of relief work. However, finding a good balance in such an emergency is very hard.
It could be argued that the nuclear crisis will lead to a lower credibility for the Japanese government. I don't think so. Accidents like the one at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant are almost unprecedented.
However, the Japanese people did receive explanations from the Japanese government, the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, and the Tokyo Electric Power Company.
These explanations have been both detailed and specific in order to eliminate any suspicion of a coverup.
But in the meantime, there is no doubt that after the Japanese society calms down, measures adopted by the government to handle the crisis will be discussed, and Japan's policies on nuclear plants will be thoroughly overhauled.
Some say the earthquake will begin a third lost decade for Japan. I disagree.
Except for rapidly growing developing countries, long-term economic decline is a problem confronted by the whole world.
It is still difficult now to predict how the disaster will affect Japan's economy, while problems that have been discussed about for many years during the depression must be continuously considered.
And taking into account the public works made necessary by the earthquake, it is too soon to conclude that the Japanese economy will head into another recession.
Though Japan has a particular problem with the aging population, recently many other countries, especially in East Asia, have begun to share the same problems of aging population, low birth rate and late marriages.
It can be concluded that these problems do not merely belong to Japan. They're actually the results of a particular social structure that can appear in any country.
Other East Asian countries should consider these problems as common issues and tackle them together with Japan.
The aftermath of the Sendai earthquake was certainly miraculous, as violence and robbery after huge natural disasters such as big earthquakes are common in foreign countries. Reports by the foreign media on the self-restraint and orderliness of the Japanese people have lead to the rediscovery by the Japanese of their own virtues.
The Japanese people have traditionally been group-centered. From reports on how the victims manage affairs in the shelters by themselves and volunteers help people in the devastated areas, Japan's traditional virtues are fully exercised this time.
Many Japanese believe that a changes of government will improve this country's politics, since Japan's political instability has caused chaos and stagnation. For this reason some people have been expecting a strong leader to appear.
Personally I think they should be more cautious on this subject. It is true that a strong leader can make quick decisions, but quick decisions can also be bad ones. Japan is facing a tremendous amount of problems, which can't be solved by a single person.
There's no doubt that the disaster will affect Japanese society deeply in many ways. However, regardless of the damages caused by the earthquake, Japan has come to the place where it can review the problems that have been brewing over the last 65 years and find solutions.
The disaster has truly caused us great pain, but it's also an opportunity to bring the whole nation together to tackle long-standing problems.
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