Hansei

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Hansei ( Japanese 反省 , dt. "Self-reflection") is a central term in Japanese culture . It means recognizing the guilt for one's own wrongdoing and vowing to get better. In contrast to the western legal concept, where a confession serves as a justification for the punishment and evidence , in Japan the recognition of one's own guilt is in the foreground, similar to the German saying "Self-knowledge is the first step towards improvement".

An example of this are politicians involved in corruption cases (which is more common in Japan). They appear publicly and apologize, and then take a back seat for a few years. However, after a certain period of time, they will resume their careers as they are believed to have learned their lesson.

In Japanese companies, it is common for the supervisor to expect hansei from his employees in the event of mistakes . However, he assumes responsibility to the outside world while the department works together to solve the problem.

See also: Social behavior in Japan

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  • Boyé Lafayette De Mente: Japan's Cultural Code Words . Tuttle Publishing, Boston 2004, ISBN 0-8048-3574-8