Will Japanese massacre foreigners if a major earthquake hits Tokyo again ?

[Maciamo]

yeah it didn't happen in kobe, it's not going to happen in any future tokyo earthquake. plus only a psycho in this day and age would go arround killing people after an earthquake.

There are many psychos in Japan. If you had followed recent news, you'd see a guy who raped and killed a schoolgirl in Nara (sending picture of his deeds to the child's mother), school children killing each others with knives or pushing toddlers from the top of a building, teenagers killing their whole family when they are sleeping at night, a housewife who murdered her husband and keep the body in the fridge for months, someone killing the whole neighbouring family with a gun because they were too noisy, etc. ad nauseam. And that's just a sample of the weekly stories that are translated in English on sites like the Mainichi online. How can we be sure that some ultraracist guys wouldn't take advantage of the confusion to start killing foreigners after a tremendous earthquake ?

[Shooter452]

Until I read the original post, my reaction was that this was the most ridiculous topic of the day. But I understand the purpose of this thread a little more completely now. I still think that this is sort of trivial, but that is a few treads up the ladder from "ridiculous" and that is more me making sense of it than it is criticism of the originator.

I also clicked on "probably not" because I think that it is foolish to speak of certainty when we discuss future human behavior. However, given the ugly past of Japanese national behavior (and this is only one, minor example), it is possible.

However, the people of today are not the people of seventy-five years ago. The Japanese people may still be overly self-aware, or even arrogant of their place in today's world (not necessarily my opinion, but one that can be heard from "talking heads" out there), but they are not the kind of people who would do something like this, IMHO. At least not those who I knew.

The past conduct of a people, unlike the past conduct of single individuals, is not a reliable indicator of future conduct (unless you are a Democrat discussing the future behavior of Republicans...and vice versa!).

Still, under the intense pressure of such a cataclysmic event, who can possibly know for certain?

Not I, said the cat.

Ira furor brevis est

[Pachipro]

There are many psychos in Japan. If you had followed recent news, you'd see a guy who raped and killed a schoolgirl in Nara (sending picture of his deeds to the child's mother), school children killing each others with knives or pushing toddlers from the top of a building, teenagers killing their whole family when they are sleeping at night, a housewife who murdered her husband and keep the body in the fridge for months, someone killing the whole neighbouring family with a gun because they were too noisy, etc. ad nauseam. And that's just a sample of the weekly stories that are translated in English on sites like the Mainichi online. How can we be sure that some ultraracist guys wouldn't take advantage of the confusion to start killing foreigners after a tremendous earthquake ?

I voted probably not as that was 1923 when people were not as educated or internationalized as today. Back then there was hardly any interaction with foreigners. In 2005 or later I doubt it. Granted you may have one psycho who might try something like that, but I doubt it.

Getting to your quote, it is not that unusual what you mentioned as the same type of murders and such were going on back in the early 1970's and the years that followed and probably even years before then. I remember stories of kids killing their whole families, mothers killing children and themselves, kids throwing other kids off of buildings, etc. It has, and will always be going on in Japan. There are always a few psychos. Anyone remember the guy who cut off the heads of school children and kept them? Or the woman who cut off the penis of her military American lover with a piano wire because he confessed to her that he was indeed married and that his wife was coming to live with him in a few weeks?

[BlackenedEyes]

I voted probly not. Genocide by the government can just about be completely ruled out, because of the existance of the UN, Amnisty International and other organizations... that and they'd have the US breathing down their throats, especialy if there were alot of american casualties. Economic trade would take a huge hit as well after the media got a hold of the news.

any sort of massacure by any country is almost an impossibility now days; however if it were a movement carried out by individuals, then it might be possible.

[Doc]

There are many psychos in Japan. If you had followed recent news, you'd see a guy who raped and killed a schoolgirl in Nara (sending picture of his deeds to the child's mother), school children killing each others with knives or pushing toddlers from the top of a building, teenagers killing their whole family when they are sleeping at night, a housewife who murdered her husband and keep the body in the fridge for months, someone killing the whole neighbouring family with a gun because they were too noisy, etc. ad nauseam. And that's just a sample of the weekly stories that are translated in English on sites like the Mainichi online. How can we be sure that some ultraracist guys wouldn't take advantage of the confusion to start killing foreigners after a tremendous earthquake ?

Serial rapists.
Angry housewives.
Angry husbands.
Children hacking up their parents bodies, and putting them in the basement.
Arsonists.
Hit and run drivers.
Serial killers.
Domestic disputes.
Suicides.
Children murdering other children.
Mad bombers.
Car thiefs.
Armed robberies.
White power members.
Fanatical Christians fighting people.

What do all these things have in common? That people are crazy no matter where you go. Come to St. Louis and spend a week there. You'll find out that there are just as many crazy people, than there are in Japan if not more. In the past week there have been more murders, rapes, car thefts, and God knows what in just one city that I'm beginning to wonder if the world is comming to an end.

Doc