Japan's tradition of self-restraint comes through after disaster

There has been worldwide admiration for the way in which the Japanese people affected by last month's earthquake and tsunami have coped with hardship. Images of the devastation in the north are broadcast continuously on Japanese television, and the sense of shared experience has permeated throughout Japanese society, says Kyle Cleveland, an associate professor of sociology at Temple University, Japan Campus. "The Japanese are just expressing some Japanese values and ways of behaving that are not that atypical of the society, but are perhaps highlighted by the events of recent days."
April 9, 2011 | Voice of America