Is Japan's Low Crime Rate About Culture?

Japanese people have had to cope not only with the serious effects of the earthquake which occurred a week ago but also with the adversity that it has generated through the severely damaged nuclear power plants. Besides the fortitude that the Japanese have shown is the impressive level of order that has been maintained amidst the grave conditions. Many have attributed this to the cultural predisposition that emphasizes fairness and a deep sense of duty.  

It is difficult to fail to notice the difference between the reaction to this disaster and those that have occurred in the last few years. Christopher Beam of Slate Magazine muses that perhaps the cultural component of this composure under stress is overstated. He states that the phenomenon that we see is supported by incentives that encourage honesty while punishing misdemeanor quite severely. As an example, it states that Japan has a well developed finders fee which is paid out for recovery of an item that is stolen and this is further reinforced by the fact that severe negative incentives apply for captured thieves. This makes every situation one of balancing small positive incentives to the possibility of severe punishment.

Separate from these incentives are a large police force that is both competent and well trained. one sees how this force in turn reinforces the incentive scheme by raising the probability of capture for a thief. On the part of informal law enforcement by criminal organizations, one sees how they may have an interest in enforcing order in the areas of their operations. Notwithstanding my suspicion that these groups can perform a positive role, the article state that some are ensuring an orderly period and also contributing to the relief efforts. Fair enough, but only if the competent police force could just start investigating and prosecuting these gangs.