Gaman

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Gaman ( Japanese 我 慢 ) or gamanzuyoi ( 我 慢 強 い ), combined with tsuyoi (strong), is a term in the Japanese language that is translated as "patience and perseverance". It can refer to a law, a person, an ethos, a trait, a culture, or the like. It means as much as doing your best in difficult times while maintaining self-discipline . For example, it is said that the first generation of Japanese-American immigrants, the Issei , displayed gaman during the internment of Japanese-born Americans in World War II . The same applies to those affected after the Tōhoku earthquake in northern Japan in 2011 .

Gaman has also found its way into psychoanalytic theory to describe a Japanese attitude: "Restricting egoism in favor of others". Gaman is learned at a young age. It is exemplified by older people and viewed as a sign of maturity and strength. Keeping silent about your private concerns, problems and complaints is a sign of polite restraint - your counterpart may have even greater worries. When assistance is provided to a person who practices gaman, help is accepted. However, no more help is asked for and no concerns are raised.

history

The term gaman comes from the teachings of Zen Buddhism and describes an internal activity against external adversity. The Japanese-American internees in World War II practiced gaman in order to endure social exclusion, distress, and humiliation. This internalized attitude has often been misunderstood by non-Japanese as a lack of initiative.

After the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, the root of the ability to suffer, decency, the absence of widespread looting and the mutual helpfulness of the Japanese was largely seen in the gaman. Likewise, the apparent heroism of the short-term only 50-70 employees who continued to work in the Fukushima I nuclear power plant in view of the great personal danger they had , was viewed as a manifestation of Gaman (cf. Fukushima 50 in the Fukushima nuclear disaster ).

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Why No Looting In Japan? Ctd. the Atlantic, March 17, 2011, accessed May 20, 2011 .
  2. ^ Frank A. Johnson: Dependency and Japanese Socialization . NYU Press, 1995, ISBN 0-8147-4222-X , pp. 181 ( limited preview in Google Book search).
  3. ^ Todd Jay Leonard: Letters Home: Musings of an American Expatriate Living in Japan . IUniverse, New York 2003, ISBN 0-595-28309-8 , pp. 99 ( limited preview in Google Book search).
  4. ^ Catherine Burns: Sexual Violence and the Law in Japan . Routledge Shorton, New York 2004, ISBN 0-415-33651-1 , pp. 51 ( limited preview in Google Book search).
  5. ↑ T. Shibusawa: Japanese American Elders . In: Patricia J. Kolb (Ed.): Social Work Practice with Ethnically and Racially Diverse Nursing Home Residents and Their Families . Columbia University Press, New York 2007, ISBN 978-0-231-12533-8 , pp. 146 ( limited preview in Google Book search).
  6. ^ Mark I. West (ed.): The Japanification of Children's Popular Culture. From Godzilla to Miyazaki . Scarecrow Press, Lanham, Md. 2009, ISBN 0-8108-5121-0 , pp. 4 ( limited preview in Google Book search).
  7. ^ The Art of Gaman: Enduring the Seemingly Unbearable with Patience and Dignity. Japanese National American Museum, accessed March 18, 2011 .
  8. ^ Art by Japanese-American Detainees During World War Two Shows Their Struggle and Humanity. In: VOA News. May 18, 2010, accessed March 18, 2011 .
  9. ^ Brian Niiya: Japanese American History. An A-to-Z Reference from 1868 to the Present . Facts On File, New York 1993, ISBN 0-8160-2680-7 , pp. 143 ( limited preview in Google Book search).
  10. ^ US troops exposed to radiation. In: Detroit Free Press. March 16, 2011, accessed March 18, 2011 .
  11. ↑ Mike Lloyd: Japanese remain calm while dealing with quake after-math. (No longer available online.) In: National Post. March 16, 2011, archived from the original on March 24, 2011 ; Retrieved March 18, 2011 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.news1130.com
  12. ↑ Crushed, but true to law of 'gaman'. In: the Australian. March 16, 2011, accessed March 18, 2011 .
  13. ↑ A nuclear meltdown in Japan? Not if these brave workers can help it. In: Christian Science Monitor. March 15, 2011, accessed March 18, 2011 .
  14. ^ Wayne Arnold: Enduring the unendurable. In: Business Standard. March 15, 2011, accessed March 18, 2011 .

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