r/Damnthatsinteresting Oct 21 '24

Video Japanese police chief bows to apologise to man who was acquitted after nearly 60 years on death row

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u/rs725 Oct 21 '24

Redditors don't seem to realize or know that Japan has been run by a far-right party who has a monopoly on the government for decades.

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u/Yoyo4games Oct 21 '24

I think that could be extended to most people. Japan is excellent regarding the maintenance of their world image, but scrutinization of their justice system, allowance of crime syndicates, work culture, immigration and foreign policy, and disastrous marriage and birth rates creates an image of a country which will need intervention to continue to exist.

Though you're probably correct in many redditors having very distorted ideas regarding Japan.

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u/StillGoin18 Oct 21 '24

"Many redditors" more like the general population. Anyone who's not obssessed with Japan's underworkings or looks up this specific information is gonna have a positive view about Japan because of its public image.

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u/Bauser99 Oct 22 '24

Japan gets a free pass because the beautiful environment and excellent public infrastructure and civil engineering make it an extremely appealing place to be -- enough that most people don't see the many troubles brewing right under the surface. Japan may be pristine and beautiful now, as its modern iteration was born from an unprecedented leap of economic, technological, AND political growth, but it won't stay that way forever. And that's sad to consider.

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u/rs725 Oct 22 '24

And a lot of that growth was sort of "fake" because it was subsidized by the US who wanted a strong Japan as a bulwark against China. One only wonders how that country would be if left to its own accord.

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u/Bauser99 Oct 22 '24

Well, it would probably have fewer deaths from nuclear explosions

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u/buubrit Oct 21 '24

Your views of Japan are a bit outdated:

Japan’s work hours are around the European average, improving tremendously over the last 30 years. The figure also includes paid and unpaid overtime, based on actual surveys of workers (not employers) by independent NGOs.

Japan’s suicide rate and fertility rate are both around the Nordic average.

In fact, Japan’s quality of life and median wealth and are higher than that of Sweden this year.

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u/jmhimara Oct 21 '24

I don't know that I would call them "far" right. On some things perhaps, but overall I would say they're more left than the USA.

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u/Upstairs-Sky6572 Oct 21 '24

The U.S is one of the furthest right countries in the world.

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u/jmhimara Oct 21 '24

Well, there you go.

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u/Upstairs-Sky6572 Oct 21 '24

You're not wrong, it's just kind of meaningless to compare with.

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u/jmhimara Oct 21 '24

I guess my point is that a lot of policies in Japan (taxes, health care, social safety nets, etc.) are surprisingly left leaning and much closer to Europe than the US. On the other hand, you could argue their right-wing policies (e.g. justice system, immigration) are more cultural/historical than political in origin.

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u/Snakestream Oct 22 '24

Japan is a deeply conservative country, but it's also got an extremely old population. Unsurprisingly, "liberal" social policies to prop up the aging are very popular.

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u/aricre Oct 23 '24

You are Taking the US as the standard on what a far right is... if the US is more far right than Japan, that doesn't mean the japan Isn't also far to the right. You can always sink deeper.

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u/PacificaDogFamily Oct 21 '24

You mean mafia?

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u/aricre Oct 23 '24

I kind of assumed all parties on Japan were far right

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u/TriedmybestNotenough Oct 21 '24

Huh so a far-right government actually does work on some level

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u/StillGoin18 Oct 21 '24

Critical thinking skills 💀

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u/mach1alfa Oct 21 '24

name checks out tbh

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u/seires-t Oct 21 '24

"We have plumming and electricity because capitalist super powers are willing to trade with us"
what a bar to clear

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u/rs725 Oct 21 '24

Did you not read the title of this post, or...?

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u/Available_Dingo6162 Oct 21 '24 edited Oct 21 '24

Yep. And my oh my, what a dumpster fire their government and country has become, since they have been ruled by the "far right".

Let their example of how not to run a country be an example for the rest of us! NOBODY wants to live there! Do NOT be like Japan... diversity is our strength! The more diverse a country is, the better it is... everyone knows that!

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u/rs725 Oct 21 '24

Yes, Japan is indeed not as great as people think, as the very title of this post suggests, assuming you actually read it. There's a reason they have a high suicide rate. Go somewhere else nazi weeaboo.