Japanese Code of Conduct 1

Introduction.

In Japan, a declining population is expected to result in a situation where there will be a shortage of personnel to maintain the current social system.

Among various measures, the Japanese government is trying to increase the number of immigrants from abroad. Therefore, in the future, many people who do not have roots in Japan (foreigners) will be living in Japan. The problem is the friction between Japanese and foreigners caused by differences in religious and cultural codes of conduct. The Japanese code of conduct is unwritten and difficult to understand.

　　For example, foreigners are generally clear about their religion and code of conduct, and have no hesitation in expressing their demands to the Japanese government, local authorities, etc. In contrast, Japanese people are averse to stating their dissatisfaction in an overt manner. On the other hand, Japanese people have a norm against stating their dissatisfaction in an overt manner, which sends the wrong message to foreigners that they are not dissatisfied. Living in Japan means that one is expected to conform to the customs of the Japanese people before the law says so. In Japanese, this is expressed as "go to the hometown, follow the hometown.

I would like to introduce the code of conduct of the Japanese people to those who have roots outside of Japan and wish to settle and live in Japan, and to help them understand the Japanese people.

The nation of Japan has a long history, and in the early 7th century, the introduction of a bureaucratic system began, following the lead of China. The man who promoted this system was Prince Shotoku. The code of conduct he laid out for the newly appointed bureaucrats was the Constitution in Article 17. The first sentence of the first article, "Wa wo motte toutoshi to nasu",=” a state of harmony is desirable”, is probably not unknown to any Japanese. I would like to start by attempting to document the code of conduct for the Japanese people, using this as a starting point.

The fact that Prince Shotoku established the code of conduct as a code of conduct means that it is a statement of "this is the way it should be" for those areas among the various codes of conduct of the Japanese people that he felt "should be changed" at the time of the reform at the beginning of the 7th century. Therefore, it should be assumed that he did not refer to areas that he approved of and had already observed, and we must look for those areas in other sources.

first article

A state of harmony (win-win) is desirable, and once a resolution is made by the parties concerned, it should be followed. People come from different backgrounds and support groups. However, there are generally only a few wise men who can coordinate these. Therefore, there are often those who do not obey the monarch or the chief (head of the organization), or those who fight among neighboring villages. However, when the head of the organization aims for a win-win situation and the negotiating parties engage in constructive discussions, they are able to communicate. There is nothing that cannot be done.

　It is a lesson that is relevant today. Since this is "the way things should be," one can imagine that in the time of Prince Shotoku, there must have been many people trying to assert themselves with the military power of their families, and that conflicts were constant. This situation was not going to improve anytime soon with the presence of a single wise man, Prince Shotoku. He may have presented the concept of win-win as the most important wisdom.

　Even in modern Japan, the governors of Okinawa and Shizuoka prefectures, who are also Japanese government officials, do not follow the policies of government-led national projects (territorial defense and practical application of linear motor technology), giving whatever reasons they can legally do so.

　Many Japanese also interpret the meaning of harmony as unanimity, and resolutions in the Diet often take a long time. In such cases, the minority party utters the line, "What the majority says is not always right.

　And importantly, even once a resolution is made, if the preconditions change, it becomes unclear whether a win-win situation is maintained. For example, the current Japanese Constitution was enacted 70 years ago, and the preconditions have changed drastically. Despite this, some political parties argue that even discussing changes is a bad thing, and parliamentary deliberations do not proceed.

Article 2.

　Respect the Buddha, his teachings, the sutras, and the monks who study and transmit them. These three treasures are the foundation of personal life and aninternationally accepted code of conduct. No matter what time of the year, no matter where one lives, there is no one who does not respect the three treasures. There are very few people who are extremely evil, and through education they can become useful members of society. If this education is not based on the Three Treasures, how can we correct our mistakes?

　Prince Shotoku's desired political accomplishment required the right kind of human resources. In considering what textbooks to use, he chose Buddhism. In modern Japan, it does not matter what religion a person in charge of the political system follows. The word "Buddhism" should be replaced with "the latest theories and technologies. Buddhism" was the latest thought and science at that time.

In addition, among the various schools of thought at the time, Confucianism, and Taoism etc. Buddhism was chosen as the most appropriate norm for the Japanese people, a norm that would have been considered most compatible with Shintoism, the indigenous religion of Japan. And 1300 years later in Japan, it seems to have been right.

Article 3.

　Whenever the Emperor (Head of State) gives you instructions, you must respect them. If the emperor is compared to the sky, his subjects (administrative officials) are the earth. The sky covers the earth, and the earth crowns it. If you always act with this in mind, the Emperor and you will be able to communicate with each other. If the earth attempts to cover the sky, it will surely collapse. Therefore, I say that the subjects should accept the words of the emperor. If the emperor and his subjects abide by this, their superiors and subordinates, their chiefs and family members, will imitate them and stabilize. I say again, whenever the Emperor gives you instructions, you must respect them. If you do not, you will destroy yourselves.

　Since His Majesty the Emperor is not currently in a position to command a government organization, it is better to say "head of the organization". It means that we should obey whatever is decided by those who have become the "head of the organization" by some blood, some procedure, or some achievement. Note that the Japanese words "respect" here are imperatives meaning "obey. Generally, the Japanese language does not use direct expressions.

　In 1986, the Chief Cabinet Secretary's instructions to his aides included the words, "When a decision is made, obey it," and these words have not lost their validity even today. When the head of an organization gives an order, Japanese people rarely reply, "I will start work on it immediately," but often reply, "I will consider it.

　This is because the normal attitude among Japanese is that "I will consult with the relevant personnel in my department to determine how to respond to the content of the order.

Article 4.

　High officials, let the law be the standard. The law is necessary as the basis for governing the people. If the people do not obey the law, there will be no order. If the people do not obey the law, they will surely be guilty. Therefore, if the emperor and the dignitaries obey the law, rank and seat (order) will not be disturbed, and if the people obey the law, the nation will be governed without action.

The word "Rei" in the original text is a Confucian term meaning law. Like the Tokugawa Shogunate (1602-1868), Shotoku Taishi also adopted Confucianism as a system of national order. When laws are established, they must first be observed by those who establish them, so that order may be created among dignitaries and the people.

　The recent revelation that the ruling party did not keep records of income and expenditures as required by law for political fundraising has caused dismay and disappointment among the public.

Article 5.

Refuse the hospitality, abandon the temptation to bribe, and treat the lawsuit fairly. The public has a lot of lawsuits. If there are so many lawsuits in one day, how many more will there be over the next few years? Judges nowadays have become so profit-motivated that they accept or reject lawsuits based on the amount of bribes they receive. In other words, it is easier for the rich to sue and harder for the poor to sue. In this case, the poor will not know what to do. This will damage political credibility.

　Those who handle litigation must be impartial. And try to adjudicate as promptly as possible. It is a matter of course. However, in today's Japan, trust in judicial decisions has been shaken, and the current situation reminds us once again that faith, reward, and punishment are the cornerstones of order.

For example, a retired government official caused the deaths of several people, including a mother and her child, in a car accident. There were many witnesses and it was an obvious traffic accident, but it took a year to send him to prosecution and a year to prosecute him. He is now in jail, but the process was so slow that it was suspected of being manipulative.

　In addition, some foreign residents (who have repeatedly applied for refugee status, questioning whether they entered the country through proper procedures) have formed a clique and gained de facto extraterritoriality. The judiciary has let them go unchecked, and the police, perhaps fearing criticism from human rights groups, have been reluctant to help. As a result, the safety of Japanese residents is threatened. What is happening in other countries is happening in Japan.

Article 6

To chastise evil deeds and encourage good deeds is the ancient standard of goodness. Do not hide from a person's good deeds, but exalt them, and always correct his evil deeds. Dutifulness and deceit are useful tools to overthrow a nation. It can also be a sword that hurts the people. Those who envy and flatter report to their superiors the negligence of their subordinates, and to their subordinates they slander the blunders of their superiors. All these people are not loyal to their superiors and have no charity for their subordinates. Such people are the cause of great disturbances.

　The standard for bad behavior would be law, and the standard for good behavior would be Buddhism and Confucianism. This is generally true in contemporary Japan. However, in Japan, the bonds within organizations are still strong (loyalty to superiors, filial piety to parents, or good deeds from superiors to subordinates, or benevolence from parents to children), so subordinates' willingness to break the law to protect their superiors or the company, or children to protect their parents, is sometimes tacitly accepted by interested parties. In such cases, the whistleblower who publicly discloses this as wrongdoing is usually in a situation where he or she is legally expelled from the organization or leaves on his or her own.

　The Tokugawa Shogunate also allowed the people of a load to appeal to the shogun (the lord's superior) for the load's wrongdoing, but those who did so were sentenced to death for disloyalty to the load.

Article 7.

Each official has his or her own duties. Control them so that they do not become overloaded with duties. The people rejoice when a competent person assumes an appropriate position, but misfortune abounds when an knave tries to retain his position. Few people are born competent. It is only through deep consideration that one becomes competent and trustworthy.

Problems, large or small, are solved with the right people. The time given to solve problems can be short or long, but if the right people are entrusted with the job, the problem will be solved. Therefore, those who have been leading a good government since ancient times have always sought human resources for their duties. They do not set duties for personal gain.

The right person in the right place with regard to organization is recognized as an ideal in modern Japan as well.

Article 8.

High officials, go to work early in the morning and work until late at night. There is no time for official business, and it cannot be completed in a day. If you work late in the morning, you will not be able to respond to urgent work, and if you go home early, you will not be able to finish your work.

　Since the seventh century, the Japanese have considered it a virtue to devote oneself to one's duties from morning till night. The same is true today. In some cases, those who appeal "I worked until late at night" are recognized as superior, irrespective of their achievements.

Article 9.

Trust is the source of order. Trust comes first in everything we do. For example, the criteria for judging right and wrong and judicial decisions are always based on trust. If there is trust, both above and below, anything is possible. If there is no trust, it will not work.

　This is true today, in any country, in any organization. When the Japanese nation won the wars against China (1894) and Russia (1904), there was trust up and down, but the wars against China, Britain, and the US, which began in 1937, were lost because there was no trust up and down. (If there had been trust up and down, they would not have started a war that everyone knew they had a very high probability of losing.)

Article 10.

Abandon anger in your heart and don't let anger show on your face. Do not be angry that you are different from others. Each person has his or her own ego. This causes differences in behavior. What he does right, I do wrong. What I deem righteous, he deems wrong. He is not necessarily a wise man. But that does not mean he is a fool. Both he and I are ordinary people. Who can accurately judge what is right or wrong? I and he are both wise at times and foolish at other times, just like the earring that has no end. Therefore, when you hear that someone is angry with you, think about whether you are at fault or not. Even if you think to yourself, "This is it," follow the opinion of the majority.

It is an article that would have had a great impact on my later life if it had been introduced in an elementary school morality lecture (an introduction to examples of right and wrong based on religious views). I think it is a basic concept of human relations and a lesson that is directly applicable in modern Japan. In the case of Japanese people, they want to make "majority" as close to "all" as possible. For this reason, they do not like a leader who is willing to take a majority vote, for example, 51 to 49.

　Former Prime Minister Abe was more of a leadership type, so he was subjected to unjustified criticism in the Diet and was eventually assassinated. Prime Minister Kishida is an all-against-the-board type, so his policies are often mismatched, such as cutting taxes while raising interest rates, but his decision-making appears safe to voters, so he has not suffered a fatal decline in support.

Article 11.

Make sure that the awards and punishments are always targeted by clarifying the merits and transgressions. At this time, awards are not based on merit and punishments are not based on guilt. The high officials in charge of judging should make their awards and punishments public.

The principle that good work will be rewarded and bad work punished is an issue in modern Japan as well. There is a growing sense of unfairness, especially with regard to crime. When a prosecutor decides that it would be difficult to convict a person at trial, the case is dropped. In other words, there are too many cases in which prosecutors are conducting trials. The fact that the conviction rate for criminal cases in Japan is 99% is evidence that prosecutors are conducting trials. It seems that foreign criminals are also often dropped (for undisclosed reasons).

Article 12.

Local officials shall not collect taxes from peasants. There are no two sovereigns in a country and no two masters in a people. All the people have the Emperor as their sovereign. All local officials are subordinates of the emperor. Why would both the central government and local officials want to collect taxes from the people?

Even today, of course, embezzlement and selfish exploitation of state taxes by local officials must be forbidden. How they policed it in the 7th century I don't know because I am uninformed.

Article 13.

All bureaucrats should be aware of colleague’s duties. There will be times when a colleague is ill or leaves the office as an emissary. At such times, you should be aware of the nature of their duties and be able to fill in as if you had been in charge for a long time. Do not delay official duties because you do not know the duties.

In group sports, players who can play in various positions are called "utility players," and are valued by coaches. Even today, the Japanese consider it good enough to be able to take over a colleague's job immediately in any organization, but not the individual's experience, knowledge, skills, and judgments based on these, as well as the liking or disliking of the stakeholders. For now, it will be limited to routine tasks.

Article 14.

Jealousy is forbidden to officials. When you envy others, they envy you. The guilt of jealousy knows no bounds. Because of jealousy, we do not rejoice when others' knowledge is superior to our own, but we envy when their talents are superior. For this reason, we cannot wait for the wise man who comes along once in 500 years, nor for the saint who comes along once in 1,000 years. How can we govern a country if we cannot recruit the best people?

Even today, envy keeps organizations from functioning. In Japan, it is rare for a person in a certain position to select a person who is more capable than he or she is, and thus the organization declines. What happens to a declining organization? In Japan, a competent person creates a new organization within the organization, defines new functions and scope of application, becomes its head, and seizes substantial authority, while leaving the original organization intact.

Fujiwara, who took the bureaucracy away from the emperor; the shogunate system, which gained support by exercising judicial standards and police power acceptable to the people (the shogun is the head of the shogunate, but the shogun is appointed by the emperor according to law, and the procedures are carried out by Fujiwara); Kawabuchi, who brought a professional organization (J. League) into the soccer association and assumed the leadership role of chairman. The success of the J-League would be one such aspect.

Article 15.

It is the mindset of a subject to abandon his or her private thoughts and devote himself or herself to public duties. Whenever a person has a personal interest, there is always resentment, and when there is resentment, things do not go smoothly. This is called "preventing the public from doing the public with me. When resentment arises, it is a violation of the system and a violation of the law. Therefore, Article 1 says, "Discussions should be aimed at a win-win situation between the upper and lower classes. That is also linked to the elimination of private affairs.

If you put your personal affairs ahead of public judgment, you will not be able to explain to convince those around you. This is absolutely true. Even today, not only in Japan, it is common to hear stories of corruption, such as ministers placing orders for work under their jurisdiction with companies to which they have a duty of loyalty.

Article 16.

When imposing labor on the people, choose the right time of year, which has been a good practice since ancient times. Therefore, labor should be imposed on the people during the winter. From spring to fall is the season for farming and sericulture. The people should not be put to work. If we do not produce food and clothing, what will we eat and wear?

Japan has four seasons, and agriculture, or food production, was conducted in spring, summer, and fall. Labor had to be imposed in winter in order to procure sufficient food and clothing for the plants and sericulture. In today's Japan, this is not the case, so the assumption has been eliminated.

Currently in Japan, the government does not force its citizens to perform labor except through penalties, but the situation requires consideration of conscription and emergency situations (recent examples include a request to stay home due to an epidemic or a request for vaccination).

Article 17

Do not make important decisions alone. Always consult with those involved. This does not apply to minor matters, which may be decided alone. When discussing major matters, there must be no negligence. Therefore, when you agree with those involved, you will be able to reach a reasonable conclusion.

Instead of small matters, important ones are decided by popular consent. Measures agreed upon by all interested parties are reasonable. This is an article that expresses the characteristics of Japan.

First of all, there is no definition of "important" and "minor" matters, and they tend to become ambiguous. The excuse that "I thought it was a small matter and decided to do it alone" by those who have failed is common in modern Japan.Then, there is a tendency to think that if everyone agrees, whether it is a law or a scientific law, it can be disregarded.

For example, a company that went bankrupt because it violated accounting rules, or a company that failed to conduct quality inspections as stipulated, all have a tendency to regard this article as absolute. A Japanese comedian drew nationwide laughter when he pointed out that "there is no need to be afraid of crossing a red light if everyone crosses it together.

The above is an attempt by an ordinary Japanese interested in history to explain the code of conduct of the Japanese people, using the Seventeen-Article Constitution as the subject matter. It is not academically accurate, but I believe it is accurate enough not to cause embarrassment in the general public. I would like to make additional revisions in the future.

reference book (work)

　1989 New Edition of Shotoku Taishi (The Prince of Shotoku) (1) by Takeshi Umehara, published by Shogakukan, ISBN 4-09-382011-2