Individual Honesty vs. Corporate Corruption

[Samurai_Jerk]

You know, I've always wondered why on a personal level the Japanese seem to be pretty honest and decent but when it comes to business and politics this place stinks to high heaven. What I mean is if you leave your wallet on the bar when you go take a piss it'll most likely be there when you get back and vending machines can sit on dark deserted streets with out getting kicked in. But the cops torture false confessions out of people and are in bed with the yaks, the government helps big business hide deadly mistakes, and landlords will do whatever they can to keep as much of your deposit as possible.

What's the deal?

[Mulboyne]

From this thread:

... West writes that detailed laws govern the treatment of lost property in Japan, which has simple, uniform and convenient legal mechanisms regarding the return of lost items. These laws partially explain why many a distraught foreigner in Japan has been amazed, for example, to have a lost wallet with all its money returned, a happening that Japanese do not find particularly exceptional. As West explains, first the law requires that finders of lost property turn it over to the police-the koban (police box) system makes finding a policeman easy-or face prosecution. The police, in return, are required to make efforts to locate the owner. The law also requires that owners who are reunited with their property pay a fee (usually 20 percent of the value of the item) to the finder, who is entitled to the item itself if the owner does not claim it within six months. West cites survey data that indicates Japanese are quite familiar with the law regarding lost property, buttressing his assertion that law influences their behavior in this area. Combined with social mores, the legal framework regarding lost property results in an environment in which the principle articulated in the children's rhyme ``finders keepers, losers weepers'' is not the norm, a situation that distinguishes Tokyo and other large Japanese cities from their American counterparts. It also results in policemen spending considerable time writing reports about lost umbrellas, a fact that led one New York City assistant district attorney West interviewed to comment, ``The Japanese are [expletive deleted] insane.''

[Lucifer]

I've always asked myself about this strange thing, but actually the younger japanese are losing this individual honesty too(just my impression).

[Adhesive]

The law also requires that owners who are reunited with their property pay a fee (usually 20 percent of the value of the item) to the finder, who is entitled to the item itself if the owner does not claim it within six months.

That's interesting, I would imagine this being a big incentive for "finders" to pick up wallets and other valuables and bring them directly to the police instead of tracking down the true owner, regardless of the difficulty. This insures them at least 20% of the value and possibly the entire thing. I suspect if this law was enacted in the U.S. you would have a sharp increase in surly vagabonds showing up at the police station with all sorts of "lost" goods, lol.

My father has lost his wallet twice, and I've lost my wallet once in the States. His wallet was returned both times by the finder with cash intact, mine was never returned, but, not surprisingly, it hadn't contained any cash when lost.

[Greji]

mine was never returned, but, not surprisingly, it hadn't contained any cash when lost.

Yeah and that really pissed me off, that's why I threw it in the trash.