Takeo Doi, scholar on Japanese psyche, dies

the behavior was common in puppies and human babies.

And Japanese adults - this chap might be on to something.

“amae“—a childlike desire for indulgence—as key to understanding the Japanese mind.

Amae could be the reason for the many strange behavioral patterns of the Jpeople?

Wow, I remember using Doi's books for my undergraduate thesis. Interesting chap. I hope he had a peaceful death.

Yes, he was on our third year reading list (Vogel was there too). Not that I ever read the books on the reading list....

"Immature" and "childish" are words I often associate with Japanese society. This book digs a little deeper into that very subject.

Interesting book. Check it out.

A lot of foreigners living in Japan would probably benefit from reading this book. The sections that deal with Japanese personality are certainly interesting. Keep in mind though that this text was written in the early 70s so much of it is dated.

There's no doubt that his work has made a significant scholastic contributions in both Japan and the Western world.

edward t.hall notes that different cultures "cut the apron strings" to differing degrees. doing so is step one in going "beyond culture". most japanese don't even realise that there are apron strings

I read this at the university as well. It did make me understand some things, but beware of overt nihonjinron-type of interpretation. After all, not all of us WEsterners behave according to Freud's theories either. Or do we?

Takes me back a long way. Somebody gave me a copy of "The Anatomy of Dependence" a long time ago as a birthday present (one of my weirder friends). I must have thumbed through it a couple of hundred times.

I read this at the university as well. It did make me understand some things, but beware of overt nihonjinron-type of interpretation. After all, not all of us WEsterners behave according to Freud's theories either. Or do we?

Interesting point. However, I would say that Japan has less diversity than western countries.

Of course every culture is subject to generalizations, but thats also kind of the point...Japan doesnt have a lot of diversity. Thus, generalizations tend to hold longer in Japan than western countries.

I cant remember who said it but I remember hearing "Japanese people are some of the most predictable people on the planet."

In my experience I have found this to be true.

The whole 'kawaii' thing here in Japan is an sterling example of the overt expression of 'amae' among the Japanese.

'Kawaii-ese' starts in the cradle but all too often exists in all too large measure in the characters of all too many Japanese adults. I'm pretty much embarassed by how many adult Japanese males revel in the culture of kawaii ... that such a large number of Japanese female adults find so much to be kawaii is just simply pathetic.

Thank you, Dr. Doi, for you efforts to explain amae to the outsider.

The concept of amae also goes a long way to explain why the average Hiro in Japan is so lacking in critical thinking skills and so reluctant to challenge authority ... and so satisfied to raise his children exactly as his parents raised him.