Collectivism

When I woke up and looked out the window this morning there were animal tracks in the snow in our garden. It was probably a cat, but I've seen foxes wandering around our neighborhood on my nightly walks as well. The boys love seeing animal tracks. At the park in Rifu there are lots of tracks because there's an adjacent forest and signs everywhere warning of wild boars and bears.

Kenzo had to stay home again today, but he didn't mind. He likes the quiet. When I asked him if he was bored he said yeah but he likes it. He also added that it's too noisy when Osamu is at home. I just said it's super fun to have a little brother even if he's a bit hyperactive sometimes. Kenzo was quiet.

Eri took Osamu to kindergarten by car so the other bus stop moms wouldn't worry. Japanese folks have a very strong cultural value of avoiding causing trouble for others. Sometimes they go overboard, but I'll take that any day over the American value of so-called freedom even at the expense of others.

All the moms know that Kenzo's class is off because of covid and colds so Eri figured it's the polite thing to do to avoid having Osamu at the bus stop and riding the bus since he could potentially transmit things if he gets it from Kenzo.

I think one big reason I couldn't live in the U.S. ever again is my strong distaste for individualism, especially the American brand. I have come to deeply believe that a collectivist society like Japan is far superior and a place I want to live my days and raise my family. It's easy for me to say because I'm a foreigner here and many cultural rules that are a burden on Japanese people don't necessarily apply to me, but people here are more free than in the land of the free. Furthermore, what I think saddens me the most about the state of American society right now is the fact that too many people don't seem to comprehend that freedom doesn't mean just doing whatever you want. Freedom is a societal agreement that we'll all take care of each other.

When Eri goes out of her way to drive Osamu to kindergarten part of it is a rigid cultural value at work because people will judge if you don't do it; i.e., if you do something that puts a burden on others simply because it's what you want and what's good for you. 

Collectivism is a purer form of freedom. In individualistic societies some people get to be free while other people pay for that freedom with inconvenience, burdens, and ill treatment. In some cases even worse than that.