[Namsan Ddalggakbari] Why Are Koreans and Japanese People Acting Like That?

A commonality between Korea and Japan is that pornography has developed (?) in both countries. If Japan is known as the so-called “Seongjin-guk” (Sex + Advanced Country), a country of “Yadong” (erotic videos), Korea is the country of “Mukbang” (eating broadcasts) pornography. Cultural psychologist Han Min states in his book Koreans Who Cross the Line, Japanese Who Draw the Line (Buki) that “the term pornography seems appropriate in that it shows primal human acts such as sex and eating.”

Originally, Japan had customs such as mixed bathing where men and women bathed together, incestuous marriages within relatives, and “Yobai,” where young men from the village would visit a virgin’s room to have sexual relations. There was also a custom where a wife would be given to a guest. This was likely influenced by “geographical features with many isolated areas surrounded by sea and high mountains and historical conditions where the sex ratio was difficult to balance due to continuous wars.”

However, Japan’s sexual satisfaction level is among the lowest worldwide. According to a 2018 survey by the global sexual healthcare company Tenga, Japan scored 37.9 points in sexual life satisfaction, ranking last among 18 surveyed countries. For reference, Korea scored 40.7 points, just above Japan.

Despite this, the author points to the basic human desire for interaction and socializing as related to the development of Japan’s sex industry. The desire for interaction is a cultural universal, but in the case of Japanese people, it is expressed through sex. The author explains that the uniquely Japanese temperament of “firmly protecting one’s own territory while extremely disliking invading others’ territory” manifests as voyeurism of others’ sexuality. This is cited as the reason why there are many hidden camera-style variety shows in Japan.

On the other hand, Korea is about food. When meeting a friend after a long time, Koreans greet with “Let’s have a meal sometime,” and when flirting with someone of the opposite sex, they ask, “Would you like to have a meal with me?” When grateful, they say, “I’ll treat you to a meal,” and when a friend is sick, they urge, “Make sure to eat.” It is about “wanting to see the person sitting across from you eating.” Another unique feature of Korea is the emphasis on communication. “If Yadong unilaterally shows sexual acts, Mukbang features interactive communication with viewers.”

This communicative aspect is also evident in concert group singing. At some point, Korea became known as a country that moves visiting singers with passionate group singing. Singers enter the audience, and the audience overwhelms the stage. However, such group singing is hard to find in Japan due to the “Meiwaku” temperament of not wanting to cause trouble for others. For Japanese people, a concert is “going to listen to the singer’s song,” and “to do so, one must not disturb others” is the prevailing thought. This mindset differs from Koreans who go to concerts for fun.

While Koreans, who value Jeong (affection), risk invading others’ privacy and try to connect no matter what, Japanese people can be “okay without contacting their lovers for days or even weeks.” This is because “frequent calls beyond necessity can be a nuisance to lovers.” Sometimes, this applies even to family members.

The culture of On (恩, gratitude/favor) is similar. “Japanese people think that when they receive On, they must be grateful and must repay it.” They are so reluctant to receive favors that they avoid it. Especially, “receiving favors from someone distant in relationship or lower in hierarchy is considered the most unpleasant thing.” The author explains that Japan’s refusal of Korean donations and relief supplies during the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake was for this reason. A grandmother rescued at that time apologized to the rescuers, saying, “I’m sorry for causing trouble.” The parents of a journalist kidnapped and killed by the Islamic militant group IS in 2015 said, “We’re sorry for causing trouble because of our child’s issue.” “The reason Japanese people avoid eating even one meal from someone and strictly practice warikan (Dutch pay) can be found here.”

At first glance, such On behavior might seem to increase understanding toward others, but in fact, it is the opposite. In psychology, the ability to read others’ minds is called theory of mind, and decades of research have shown that this ability develops dramatically between ages 3 and 5. However, studies have found that Japanese children develop this ability 4 to 11 months, and up to nearly 2 years, later than children in other countries. Japanese researchers attribute this difference in a collectivist culture like Korea’s to Japan’s strict disciplinary methods.

Experts analyze that such education methods “likely create personalities that fear others’ evaluations and avoid conflicts. They may choose to settle for reality or escape into fantasy rather than challenge new things,” and “when emotions intensify, it can lead to extreme behaviors.” Anti-Korean sentiment is one such example. The author states, “I cannot agree with the claim that Japanese people are rational in everything. Otherwise, there would not be a separate anti-Korean section in bookstores or anti-Korean protests every weekend.” He points out that “what they need is confrontation: acknowledging their emotions and reflecting on where those emotions come from to accept them.”

Koreans Who Cross the Line, Japanese Who Draw the Line | Written by Han Min | Buki | 18,000 KRW