Safety Country

 

Known by many as an overly cautious country, Japan has a sizable bureaucratic culture ready to closely observe the every need of its readily compliant citizenry. For many foreigners this system may seem highly unusual. For example to receive a chart in the mail detailing the types of human excrement that exist, what each type means, and how one can have proper bowel movements may seem as an example of extreme government oversight, however for Japanese these seeming encroachments upon life are heartily welcomed. The Japanese as a people have no guiding objective morality system or much emphasis placed on critical thinking processes, but rather tend to rely upon an overly burdensome system of bureaucracy with many loop holes and subjective interpretations based upon local groups for guidance. These often confusing webs of bureaucracy interwoven into society seem to exist to help create a sense of peace and safety through human control.

For instance, recently when we arrived into the country via airplane (with only 27 other passengers) we were carefully guided on a long journey through the opposite ends of the airport to complete various tasks set in place by the Japanese government to ensure that the Covid-19 virus would be contained. Before arriving in country we were required to take official Covid tests within 72 hours. Through multiple check points over the course of four hours we completed paperwork, presented our passports, and presented our negative Covid tests over and over while being greeted with friendly Japanese faces. As we walked from station to station across various parts of the airport covering at least a mile on foot we eventually took new Covid tests, signed any remaining rights away, installed a phone-tracking app (as well as required to rent a phone if you didn't have a smart phone), and waited at the end to get our test results which turned out negative. Throughout this process we came in contact with at least twenty to thirty Japanese people as well as various other passengers who may or may not have been infected with Covid during this process. On the surface this type of bureaucracy seems illogical to outside observers as there were multiple points of exposure that would appear to be counter-productive in containing a virus, however in the Japanese mindset this type of setup was the best way to ensure safety of the population from potential contamination! The Japanese people have come to expect this as normal and willingly submit themselves to all kinds of bureaucracy as a normal part of life believing that it is for the greater good.

In a country with a vast majority of people (199/200) with no knowledge of God, government defacto becomes God to them – complete with all of its imperfections, inefficiencies, controls, and precautions. Still even in a country with all needs considered and lives planned there is a great emptiness. Mankind cannot find peace apart from God.