Setsuden and "Living Eco"

I believe people have show more willingness to conserve energy rather than to “live eco” because turning off lights and electronics is simple as well as instantly-gratifying. No one wants to be seen as non-eco-friendly, and so by merely turning off the air conditioner, faucet, or desk lamp, people can avoid the guilt associated with being wasteful and feel that they are making a difference in the world, however minute. Also given the fact that “living eco” is a vague term and is typically portrayed to the extreme, people feel that they are incapable of adapting to this lifestyle, or become unmotivated to try and determine how to do so. When I hear the phrase “living eco”, I can’t help but automatically think of a hippie sort of person who lives off the land, wears clothes made out of hemp, and abstains from all use of electricity, but “living eco” most likely does not have to be defined in such an extreme way. If more people are to start “living eco”, they must first be provided with straight-forward concepts as to what “living eco” means and how one can lead an eco-friendly lifestyle (i.e. by saving electricity, etc.).  

In regards to Japan, I believe this shift has been influenced greatly by the recent disaster. By placing various ads, showing TV commercials, and shutting down certain electronics (hand-dryers, escalators, etc.), the higher-ups have played on Japan’s notion of group mentality by encouraging each individual to do their part and contribute to the greater good of the country as a whole. Even as a foreigner I oftentimes find myself feeling proud when I take the stairs when escalators are shut off, endure the train in the dark, and forego using hand-dryers since such acts backed by these ads make me feel as if I am making a difference alongside thousands of other Japanese people. Although the United States might be perceived as being more independent and stubborn compared to other countries, I have a strong belief that if a disaster such as 3.11 were to occur in the US, a similar shift would be observed. National and moral pride is something that most people enjoy experiencing, and so campaigns such as the setsuden campaign are very effective in changing the actions and mentality of the ads’ target audiences.

Although it’s fantastic that so many people have been encouraged by the setsuden ads and commercials, I worry that saving electricity may just be a sort of fad that will pass as time goes on. I was not in Japan before the earthquake and so I can only speculate, but I have a feeling that before the disaster the government and people of Japan were not quite as gung-ho about energy conservation. Perhaps the Japanese people feel guilty about the disaster and the people it has affected, but time has the power to mend all negative feelings, and so eventually more and more people will start to forget the impact of this point in history. As for climate change, I feel that until global warming starts to affect people in a tangible way (similar to how the 3.11 disaster directly affected the Japanese people), the global community as a whole will not feel particularly motivated to work toward saving energy and “living eco”. Once climate change begins to affect our daily lives I’m certain many eco-campaigns will be launched, but by then it will most likely be too late.

Articles on “the new setsuden culture”, etc.:

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ed20110515a2.html

http://blog.highwaterfilters.com/setsuden-japanese-innovation-helps-country-to-conserve-energy/

http://martinjapan.blogspot.com/2011/05/setsuden-not-teiden-cry-from-japan.html

Here is the blog of a person who has collected many pictures of setsuden signs and acts of setsuden around Japan:

http://tokyotombaker.wordpress.com/2011/06/14/major-japanese-buzzword-setsuden/

Effects of the Disaster on Nihonjinron

Although I am not a native Japanese and can only speculate on the Japanese national identity, personally I believe that this identity has not changed after the disaster, and in fact the general beliefs of the Japanese as I understand them may have actually become stronger. Most texts reffering to the nihonjinron focus on the the interdependent relationships between Japanese people and preferance for a group rather than individual mentality. If this is in fact true, then I feel that such a large disaster would cause people to rely on others more than ever and become motivated to work as a group to alleviate this horrific situation. Rather than lash out against the government and give individual opinions, I think it's quite possible that instead the Japanese people might keep their thoughts to themselves and eventually work toward finding a solution together in order to help prevent disasters of this magnitude in the future. In an article I found called "Japan nuclear plant workers' dedication to common good a national trait" (see link below), the author emphasizes how the workers' desire to help the nation as a whole before helping themsevles reflects the Japanese belief in putting the group first. Also rather than complain, loot, or flee the country, the people of the damaged community felt strongly about helping others and working toward rebuilding the area. In the article one woman states: "As much as I'd love to escape, the group is more important than your own concerns, which follows for most Japanese", which further reflects this ideal.

Clearly the Japanese have accepted and received aid from people in many different countries, and although they might be required to increase economic ties with foreign countries in the future, I do not believe that this will dampen Japan's nationalistic values. If anything this disaster could contribute to the country's perference of using group mentality to solve difficult situations and ensure peace across the nation - the fact that the nuclear aspect of this disaster was caused by a company whose primary concern was making money rather than preserving the safety of the population could further influence the Japanese to believe that chaos will ensue if each and every person doesn't work toward the greater good of the group. 

Although the article "Selves, Cultures, and Nations: The Psychological Imagination of 'the Japanese' in the Era of Globalization" states that this view may not accurately represent Japan's national identity, until the "average Japanese person" and their beliefs and practices can be identified, I along with many others will continue to consider the ideals I mentioned above as a representation of the general Japanese population. This being said, based on what I believe to be true about the Japanese people, the disaster has strengthened rather than altered their belief in selflessness and group mentality.

Article:

http://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/earthquake-disaster-in-japan/japan-nuclear-plant-workers-dedication-to-common-good-a-national-trait-1.138125