“Children who are able to greet others properly won’t be steered wrong in life.” This is one of the many tidbits of wisdom hung on metal signs put up by our local PTA, and every time I drive down a street I haven’t been on before I’m strangely compelled to keep my eyes open for new signs. “People who don’t show respect to their parents won’t receive it from their own children.” Japan is a unique industrialized nation in that its ideas on morality were never based on the Bible, unlike Western countries, and I’ve always been interested in how the Japanese define the concept. All elementary school kids have a class called dotoku (morality) in which they learn about various (of course secular) issues, such as how recognize and stop ijime, how to be thankful to others, and so on. “Weak-minded children are caused by over-protective parents.” Yes, pinning down the basis of Japan’s thinking on morality is a challenge. Is it based on Buddhism? I haven’t been able to identify any active lessons that Japanese Buddhism imparts to its followers other than to be respectful of your family members, especially those who have gone on to the next world. It’s a question I hope to find the answer to some day.
This one says, “Parents show their loving concern for their children when they offer advice to them.” Sounds lame in English but better in Japanese.
