Sign of the Times
Different global approach to threat of swine flu highlights cultural diversity
I passed through Narita Airport quite a few times in May, so I was able to experience the escalating swine flu furor first hand. And what about the countries I traveled to? The media has devoted a lot of attention recently to how people elsewhere don't wear masks as much as people in Japan do. Sure, one sees some mask-wearing in Asia, but not at all in Europe.
In comparison, Japan stands out in its dedication to mask-wearing. In Paris, for example, as I got off the plane, I noticed that slips of paper with contact information of health authorities to be contacted if one were to come down with a fever are stacked in boxes for passengers to take. But it's inconspicuous enough that many travelers easily walk by without noticing. Measures are that lax.
Lately, we've been hearing about the embarrassingly excessive fuss Japan has made over swine flu compared to much calmer reactions seen in other countries. The media kept flip-flopping; first, we were told that things looked rather dire only to be later chastised for making such a big deal out of the whole thing. But taking a step back to think about the situation, I realized that this is all about cultural differences.
Influenza is primarily a scientific matter. But if science is what mandates us to say, "the glass has exactly half the full amount of water," culture is what dictates us to decide whether the glass is characterized as "half empty" or "half full."
I get the feeling that what Japanese culture fears, or rather what the modern Japanese people fear the most, is not danger per se, but the "yet-unknown" nature of the danger. About 10,000 people apparently die from seasonal influenza every year in Japan, but people don't see it as something to be feared because it is a well-known menace.
I'm not saying that the spread of mask-wearing in Japan is embarrassing. The desire to wear a mask when there's an unfamiliar virus going around is just as much a part of Japanese culture as not wearing shoes in the house. The New York Times reported on the mask-wearing and hand-washing practices in Japan as "hygiene-obsessed." On the other hand, the U.S. reaction to the threat of "the enemy," and not of "the unknown," has in the past been perceived by many others as excessive. But here, too, if one considers the U.S. reaction a part of the country's culture, it may not be so difficult to accept.
Scientifically speaking, we can think of culture as a system that preserves long-term rationality in some situations. Human beings are easily swept up by short-term reasoning. For example, when the Western concept of "rationality" poured into Meiji-era Japan, arguments were made against the "irrational" preservation of land, such as the forests that had surrounded village shrines for generations. Developing such land for human use had been considered taboo. Some dared to develop these lands based on "rationality." Today there are legends of landslides and crop failures that occurred several years after such development. Today's scientific knowledge explains that these "mystical" forests had existed for reasons of long-term rationality, including the protection of topsoil, etc.
Back then, however, because people could not discuss the phenomena in ecological terms, they relayed their experiences with such disasters as "curses" to the next generation. In a country with a hot and humid climate and a highly concentrated population, a cultural system that values hygiene makes a lot of long-term sense.
Moreover, while the New York Times may have been taken aback by Japan's reaction to swine flu, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S. and health officials around the world must be paying close attention to the precious data being collected in Japan. They may even be a bit jealous of the fact that Japanese authorities have been able to gather information about a new pandemic backed by top-notch scientific technology and the consent of the public.
For Japan, too, this has been a valuable experience. It is often said that Japan lacks leaders with the vision and courage to tackle a new crisis, while those working on the ground are praised for being talented and dedicated. The U.S. may be capable of managing such a crisis off-the-cuff, but it's important for Japan to have a dress rehearsal. As long as we rehearse, we can polish our act from there.
The various know-how that emerged from those on the ground through the latest flu outbreak will prove invaluable when we face a real crisis such as when the bird flu virus eventually mutates into a highly virulent form as is predicted. If our recent experience increases our immunity as a country to the looming threat, then our recent brush with swine flu has been a true vaccine. Our passion for masks, some regard bordering on obsession, can be considered just a minor side effect.
It is well-known that homogeneous populations of livestock can be wiped out by a single disease. Living organisms have not limited themselves to the simple process of cell division but have also adopted a high-cost reproduction system based on sex because of, it is believed, the epidemiological merits of the genetic diversity that results from it. If we are to apply this fact about diversity to culture, the existence of both countries like Japan, that made a big deal of the recent outbreak, and countries that were more subdued in their response, is not a bad thing. It's a sign of human diversity.
So, what did I do while I was abroad? When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Wearing a mask in a country where no one else does attracts unwanted attention to oneself. As a stereotypically conformist Japanese national, I naturally got rid of my mask. (I also did see an American who, in accordance with Japanese culture, put on a mask upon arrival at Narita.)
I feel sorry for the airlines and travel agencies that have been badly affected by the outbreak. The virus is no longer a complete "unknown" to us. According to Japanese ways and customs, it may be time to "let all flow away in the water," or let bygones be bygones. (By Ken Sakamura, Professor of Applied Computer Science at the University of Tokyo)
(Mainichi Japan) June 2, 2009