Ryujiro Takami's Shame
Asia Times Online :: Japan News and Japanese Business and Economy:
Human-rights activists produced tape recordings of one train driver, Masaki Hattori, 44, that revealed he was sobbing while repeatedly saying "I am wrong and I am a fool" during three days of harsh questioning by JR West managers in his "re-education" program, for falling behind his schedule. The proud driver, with 20 years' experience and no accidents in his record, felt humiliated and later committed suicide.
Ryujiro Takami - the 23 years old driver of the train that crashed and killed more than 100 passengers two week ago - wanted to avoid shame. The risk of loosing money as a reprimand to being behind schedule is a detail in a scenario where shame is at the core of something that deep down must be very Japanese, although not unique in Japan for sure. Feudalistic human relationships are at work in train accidents as well here.
Human-rights activists produced tape recordings of one train driver, Masaki Hattori, 44, that revealed he was sobbing while repeatedly saying "I am wrong and I am a fool" during three days of harsh questioning by JR West managers in his "re-education" program, for falling behind his schedule. The proud driver, with 20 years' experience and no accidents in his record, felt humiliated and later committed suicide.
Ryujiro Takami - the 23 years old driver of the train that crashed and killed more than 100 passengers two week ago - wanted to avoid shame. The risk of loosing money as a reprimand to being behind schedule is a detail in a scenario where shame is at the core of something that deep down must be very Japanese, although not unique in Japan for sure. Feudalistic human relationships are at work in train accidents as well here.
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posted by Lionel Dersot at
5/08/2005 09:47:00 AM
