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Japanese Behavior

al inequities among the classes.

Chapters five through eight are probably the most important in the book since they all deal with the crucial concept of "on" - the individual's indebtedness to everyone who has helped him. It is the motivating force behind much Japanese behavior, especially those actions which Westerners find most perplexing. Chapter five, "Debtor to the Ages and the World", gives a basic definition of on and some examples of its workings. Chapter six, "Repaying One-Ten-Thousandth", is an explanation of "gimu" or the never-ending repayment of on to one's parents ("ko") in the form of extreme filial piety, and to the Emperor ("chu") in the form of total obedience. This chapter also contains a chart of the different types of on and whether their repayment is limited ("giri") or limitless ("gimu"). An analogy to financial debts in the U.S. is also developed here.

Chapter seven, "The Repayment Hardest to Bear", focuses on "giri-to-the world" which is the grudging repayment of on to those outside of one's immediate family., such as in-laws. Chapter eight, "Clearing One's Name", explores "giri-to-the-world" which is similar to Old World notions of honor. It dictates that any insult or failure must be erased through either revenge or some self-destructive action, including ritual suicide.

Chapter nine, "The Circle of Human Feelings", looks at how the Japanese moral code values physical and emotional pleasures (such as eating, sleeping, sex, romance, and happiness) while simultaneously requiring people to deny themselves these pleasures so they don't interfere with the serious matters in life like the repayment of on. This morality is contrasted with Western ethics which view physical pleasures as sinful but regards happiness as a great good.

Chapter ten, "The Dilemma of Virtue", examines the interactions among the different sorts of societal obligations, focussing on the extreme

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Japanese Behavior. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 21:05, March 28, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1684172.html