A lot of people wonder how a country that survived two massive atomic bombings, faces frequent earthquakes, and has limited natural resources could emerge as one of the world's most successful and technologically advanced economies. And this has many reasons, but the most important one is the education, skills, and ethics of Japanese citizens! In this blog, we will be discussing this topic in greater detail and trying to understand this side of Japan.
For any country, the most valuable asset it has is not its natural resources, not its technology, or even its economic policies; the most valuable asset is its citizens. What the core population of a country believes in, what they value, what their goals are, and their attitude towards the community and environment, all of this lays the foundation of what the future of that country is going to be. And Japan understands this concept very well.
So, how the values and ethics of an average Japanese citizen helped in its rapid growth and development, the Japanese people are known for their honesty, hospitality, kindness, hardworking nature, and many other good personality traits. It is observed time and again that most Japanese people are situationally aware and try to be as honest as possible. They are known for their great civic sense and for having a sense of harmony with the community.
One of the recent examples of Japanese people showing their dedication and honesty for their country and its government can be observed in the toll crash in April 2025. So the vehicles could just pass through, and were expected to pay later. Then, after the toll system was fixed, there were around 24,000 Japanese citizens who came forward and paid their ride tax immediately.
This showed that the citizens have a sense of civic duty in their hearts. Things like these add up in the long run, making the country great. When most people are honest and follow rules, there is great energy to grow a lot.
Another example of Japanese society being helpful and harmonious is its attitude when something gets stolen. In Japan, if you lose something valuable like your money, phone, camera, or anything else, you can pretty much get it back. Most Japanese people will submit the lost stuff to the police booth, where you can get it back easily. It has always been a shock and a relief for many tourists who saw it happen in Japan.
Japanese people share some common values that shape their mindset and attitude towards society. Some of which are:
Kaizen is a philosophy very well known and practiced by Japanese citizens. It is the concept of continuous improvement. People are encouraged to make small improvements in all aspects of their lives so that they can enjoy better positive outcomes in the long run.
This concept of Monozukuri, or the art of making, made Japanese manufacturing one of the best in the world. When we read the label “made in Japan”, we immediately think that this product must be of great quality and functionality. Japanese don’t just make, they craft. They try to make the products as good as possible. That is why the industries in Japan have been established for a long time with a great reputation.
This we have discussed in previous blog posts as well. It is the feeling that emphasises the harmony to be maintained among living beings and the environment. Reading the room, doing things in a way that doesn’t make things difficult or inconvenient to others, being mindful about others and the environment, are all things that are required to maintain harmony in the community. When there are fewer conflicts, there is much more potential for growth and improvement.
This is a very important value for Japanese people. Being able to endure and having strength in difficult times is powerful. After the 2011 tsunami and Fukushima disaster, we witnessed Japanese people embrace gaman by focusing on the solution rather than the problem. They emerged from that difficult situation bravely.
I hope you enjoyed reading this blog post. We got to know that Japanese people are the core asset of Japan, who made Japan what it is today. Japanese people have a sense of dedication and civic duty towards their nation. It shows through their attitude, behavior, and actions. Their ethics have helped the nation develop and become a better country in a relatively short time.