The conformist aspects of Japanese society makes events like the hostage crisis particularly emotionally disturbing for its people. That trauma is compounded by the fact that I don't think most Japane

The conformist aspects of Japanese society makes events like the hostage crisis particularly emotionally disturbing for its people.

Why would this sort of hostage crisis be any less emotionally disturbing for a non-conformist society? It seems like a load of nonsense.

This kind of "Japan is special, Japan is different" take on world events really gets under my skin, but I suppose that is the Reischauer Center's bread and butter.

@Joeintokyo

Spot on. You said it much better than I did.

I guess we non japanese have to feelings, no heart as this type of thing is only disturbing here in Japan. Gee wiz.

If you can pry them away from their keitai screen, I doubt this hostage event barely registers with most Japanese.

Joe -- spot on. But that makes me wonder about your other conclusion:

And Japanese do realize they are part of a global society and not an isolated nation.

I think there is a disconnect for many Japanese in this regards. While they realize they are part of a global society, if for no other reason due to their love of imported products, especially luxury goods, I still think that many also do not understand that the problems of other parts of the world can impact them. That bubble they create based on their willing ignorence, because they always have their noses stuck in their ketai's, keeps them from having any real emotional tie to the outside world.

More self importance from monolingual, middle aged men across the ocean who claim to know what 127 million people are thinking (and not just Calder).

Those of us who bother to learn the language and leave the gaijin bubble find that Japanese people are pretty much the same as anyone else some care about the wider world some dont. Ive found that most people Ive spoken to have very little sympathy for the two hostages.

Heres a little experiement to the fine liberals of JT, reread jerseyboy's comment but replace the word "Japanese" with "Jew" or "Black". Would you still be stroking your neckbeards and nodding along to it?

Overblown commentary from someone who has to make this stuff up to earn a living. What the heck does a conformist society have to do with anything? Of course people from a particular country feel traumatized when two of their fellow citizens come to such spectacular grief. The empathetic nature of the human animal makes this traumatic in Japan, just as it would be for Canadians had the hostages been from Canada, or Peruvians had they been from Peru. And as far as most not seeing this coming goes, who ever expects a couple of guys to travel to a hot spot for confused reasons and get themselves into this kind of trouble? I suppose we should listen to all the experts out there who were predicting a mentally unstable guy would take a tourist trip to a war zone at some point and his international journalist friend would follow in an attempt to rescue him.

And I'm pretty sure the idea Japan is part of a global society is well established in public discourse, but again, this didn't happen inside Japan. Yukawa and Goto were in the Middle East, not downtown Nagoya. I doubt this is doing anything to shake the sense that "Japan is safety." If anything, this is just going to make Japanese people think twice before engaging internationally or traveling abroad. And not too many are canceling planned Syria/Iraq junkets in its wake. Better to stick to home where the main terrorist threat is from homergrown subway gassers like Aum.

Heres a little experiement to the fine liberals of JT, reread jerseyboy's comment but replace the word "Japanese" with "Jew" or "Black". Would you still be stroking your neckbeards and nodding along to it?

@innit

Apples and oranges comparison. "Japanese" is a nationality, not a religion, not a race. You could replace the word "Japanese" with another nationality and it may still ring true.

OK, ill be generous and give the benefit of the doubt that Japanese was intended to refer to a nationality rather than a culture or ethnic group (not 100% convinced but whatever). Why is it acceptable?

Time to put on your big boy pants and drone 'em if ya got 'em. At least for a little while until you feel better.

Japanese people here generally don't see themselves a a part of a global community.They still see Japan as separate and unique. Many people on this site seem to believe that also. When they want to be a part of the global community ( current hostage crisis, 3/11 earthquake) then they make sure the world can see their 'pain.' Most other times, I hear stuff like how sushi and fugu are elaborate dishes that can only be done by a specially-trained chef (Japanese) and Japan is unique because there are hot springs and they have four seasons. 'Western food' is just hamburgers and steak so it's easily prepared, basic and caused them to gain weight when they were forced to eat it on their trip. Go out on the streets right now and do a check to find out what news stories are on their minds. I bet ninety percent of the people will mention the hostage crisis or Nishikori in the Australian Open. Once the crisis is resolved, almost no one will even be thinking about IS unless something happens to another Japanese person. Same for the Open, once Kei-chan is eliminated, they won't remember that a tournament was being played.

While it’s hard to deny the insularity or Nihonjinron-specialness of the Japanese, I’m afraid I can’t see anything distinct in their reaction. Glenn Greenwald:

“If the goal of terrorist groups is to sow irrational terror, has anything since the 9/11 attack been more successful than those two journalist beheading videos? It’s almost certainly the case that as recently as six months ago, only a minute percentage of the American public (and probably the U.S. media) had even heard of ISIS. Now, two brutal beheadings later, they are convinced that they are lurking in their neighborhoods, that they are a Grave and Unprecedented Threat (worse than al Qaeda!), and that military action against them is needed.”

Heres a little experiement to the fine liberals of JT, reread jerseyboy's comment but replace the word "Japanese" with "Jew" or "Black". Would you still be stroking your neckbeards and nodding along to it?

innit -- nonsense. Even if you change it to a nationality, rather than a race or ethnic group, you are still way off base. For just one example, have you heard of the EU? There you have over 25 countries who are inter-dependent on each other, especially financially. So there is much more awareness of what is going on outside their own borders. A second example would be NATO which has 28 member countries, including both Europe and North America. These countries have been involved in several mutual defense actions in the recent history, which, again, makes folks in the member countries more aware of the world in general. Finally, since Japan has virtually no immigrant population to speak of, there is no outward focus due to ties to other parts of the world. For good or bad, America, plus many European countries, have large Muslim populations, so the constant issues in the Middle-East are more relevant, especailly since residents of these countries are going there to become trained as terrorists.

From my experiences, the only Japanese people I know who are talking about this incident are those that usually comment excessively on politics, etc., usually heavy Abe supporters. Most other Japanese people I've spoken to couldn't care less about this

"Japanese" with "Jew" or "Black". Would you still be stroking your neckbeards and nodding along to it? yes did that but im sorry to say japanese still fit that paragraph the best by far. stroking our neckbeards!? you make it sound like all gaijin have neckbeards, and Japanese keep saying that we are bad at stereotyping them . pleeease LOL

"Many will realize out of this that they too are a part of global society, rather than an isolated island nation." - Kent Calder, director of the Reischauer Center for East Asian Studies at SAIS/Johns Hopkins University in Washington, DC. (AP)

AKA: - Kent Calder, PDC - Pretty damn condescending.

It would be easy to ask Mr. Calder who has a better appreciation of "global society": Americans who can't find Europe on the map or the amazingly disciplined students and adults of Japan. Apparently Mr. Calder has already decided the Japanese people are a bunch of rubes and picks this moment to share his wisdom. Johns Hopkins should pull his ticket.

they too are a part of global society, rather than an isolated island nation

Omit island, and this might be posited equally of the Home of the Brave and the Land of the Free.

Self-limiting beliefs, individual or collective, do indeed restrict one's full participation in society.

I agree with Mocheake, Japan has been in a state of "hiewa bouke", i.e. peaceful ignorance of world affairs, for years now.

The country is well-known for throwing money around, checkbook diplomacy, but keeps it's distance from direct involvement--not what you would expect from the world's 3rd largest economy.

If a plane crashes and many are killed, but no Japanese on board, it is somewhat big news. If even one Japanese was on board, we are bombarded with the news to no end.

This hostage event might wake them up a little, but not much.

Scap, when the big earthquake happened in Haiti, I was waiting to see if even one of my Japanese co-workers, friends or acquaintances would comment on the horiffic loss of life (over 200,000 dead) and property. Still waiting. Same for the quake in Chile. The one in New Zealand got a few comments but you know the reason why. I always tell my relatives that Japan is a very easy place to like but a very hard place to love.

What drivel. The notion that Japan recognizes it's a part of the international community I don't see. If nothing else this would make Japan even more insular, not less.

Japanese people discuss international events and take an interest in the world often (5th largest donor of foreign aid). But they do this in the Japanese language and generally with friends. Not in English and with the dancing bear at the eikaiwa. So I think thats why most JT posters dont come across it.