I write a lot about how Japan is one of the safest and most peaceful countries in the world. Murders do happen here, but they’re rare enough that, whenever one does occur, it’s talked about afterwards for months. Japanese become so used to the peace and safety of their country that they develop what’s known as heiwa-boke (literally “becoming dull-witted from too much peace”) and assume the rest of the world is the same. A group of Japanese tourists learned the truth of this to their cost when they were attacked while visiting the tropical island of Guam by a deranged knife-wielding local, who killed three before he was subdued. Guam, a U.S. possession, is a fabulous place, like a miniature version of Hawaii but without the jet lag (when coming from Japan). It’s also an island that counts its local economy by the number of jumbo jets ferrying tourists from Japan, South Korea and China, and everyone there is in shock that something so terrible could have happened.
Sadness in the tropical paradise of Guam.
