American and Japanese Personalities

In Japan, everyone wears a mask. Everyone is vaccinated and considerate towards others around them. This is why the number of casualties and COVID-19 cases are remarkably lower compared to other countries. In comparison, many people in the U.S. don’t wear masks and don’t get vaccinated. Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about what the difference is, and I feel it’s because of how different the environment is between Japan and the U.S.

For example, many Japanese people will do what they’re told but won’t do anything if they’re not told. However, Americans refuse to do what they’re told and do what they aren’t told. I think that’s why many Japanese people get vaccinated and why many Americans don’t. From the Japanese point of view, they believe getting vaccinated is the least they can do. But for Americans, many don’t want to because the government is telling them what to do. And Americans believe that means the government’s taking away their freedom.

In Japan, when I did something wrong, I used to say, “Mr. X is doing it too," as an excuse. Then, they’d ask, “If Mr. X jumped off a cliff, would you?”. Japanese culture tends to focus on the collective while Americans focus on the individual. And that difference between collectivism and individualism can be seen in many places.

Kenichi Uchikura
President / CEO
Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.
ken.uchikura＠pspinc.com

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