From: masuda@fcs280b.ncifcrf.gov (Michiaki Masuda)
Subject: Re: Yoshi Hattori
Organization: Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 01:20:30 GMT

   Although I appreciate the crosstalk between t.p.g., which probably
represents one of the most American (and the least Japanese) cultures, and 
s.c.j. and I think that the communication between distant cultures is very 
important for the mutual understanding, an apprently endless discussion in a 
closed circuit makes me even suspect that we may not be able to understand 
each other after all.

   Mr. Nishimura, Mr. Lambert and Mr. Smittie have been analyzing and 
explaining the possible mental state of the Japanese student when he was 
aimed at by Mr. Peairs. From a Japanese point of view, I agree to most
of their statements and I think that their analyses are very appropriate. 
I also posted my own speculation of possible reasons why the deceased
did not react "properly" in s.c.j. Although I don't intend to 
run a risk of putting the discussion into a more vicious circle, I'd like to
take a liberty to rephrase my points this time also in t.p.g.
   
   Probably, the Japanese student was not understanding what was really
happening around him and to him. Although it is most likely that he
knew the danger of a real gun, no "Japanese" experience on his side
would have told him what he should have done at that time because:

[1] In Japan, stepping into someone else's private property without (or with)
    a criminal intention almost never ends up being aimed at by the owner with
    a real gun. (If you break into Yamaguchi-gumi yakuza boss's house,
    your milage might vary...) 

[2] As mentioned by other netters, ordinary Japanese citizens have no
    direct access to a real handgun. Unless we see it in the hand of 
    a police officer, a soldier or a wicked-looking criminal, we would
    would not assume that it is real at a first glance. Probably, Mr. 
    Peairs did not look like any of these to Yoshi's eyes.

[3] As Mr. Nishimura, who is highly knowledgeable on the gun issue in Japan
    (and perhaps in the US), mentioned several times, there are toy guns
    available in Japan, and many of them look like real ones. Therefore,
    the fact that the gun in Mr. Peairs's hand looked like real might not
    tell Yoshi that it was real.
     
  Since the deceased cannot tell anything, we can never conclude what
he was thinking, how he was understanding or why he did what he did.
It is also impossible to exculde the possibility that he did not
realize that he was visiting a wrong place as an unexpected "criminal"
or that the gun aiming at him was a real one.

  Of course, it might be one of the valid arguments that he should have
known better before he came to the US. I agree to this to some extent
and believe that the Japanese government, Japanese travel agencies and  
mass media should make further efforts to inform Japanese of the
real status of foreign countries.

  However, let's remember what Yoshi Hattori was. He was an exchange
student who came to the US to learn English and other American cultures.
I believe that a part of the responsibility to educate him belonged to the
side who accepted him. Well, finally, he WAS educated, but the sad fact 
is that he can never use what he learned any longer.

  I'm not blaming the lack of efforts on the US side to educate him, but
I cannot agree to the argument that Japanese should not come to the US
unless they are "Americanized" Japanese. As I mentioned at the beginning,
a cross-cultural interaction is often more meaningful when we are exposed to
something more foreign. 

In article <Dec16.043203.38387@yuma.ACNS.ColoState.EDU> ntetsuya@lamar.ColoState.EDU (Nishimura) writes:
>In article <1992Dec15.222507.18284@cbfsb.cb.att.com> osan@cbnewsb.cb.att.com (Mr. X) writes:

>>	Would Hattori behaved any differently if Peairs had been a uniformed
>>	cop?  Undercover?
>>
>	I think he would have behaved differently if the man was in police 
>	uniform.  Many Japanese kids know, at least, that the police officers
>	in the US draw their guns far more frequently than the cops in Japan.

  I think so, too. I was once yelled at by the poice at the gate of my
institute (he couldn't see my ID). I was frozen even before he told me to 
freeze.

>	I have no idea about the case of undercover.

   Here's the worst case scenario:

 An undercover cop disguises himself as a street gang, pulls a gun, aims
at a Japanese and shouts, "Freeze!" on the street. 

 The Japanese thinks that he is a real gangster.
(Many Japanese who visits the US are told by fellow Japanese that if we want
to reduce the possibility to get hurt, we should not resist a robber but
should give him cash instead. Therefore,...)
The Japanese starts to search for cash in his pocket. However, he is so upset
and cannot remember where he has his wallet. He puts his shaking hand in his
trouser pocket. No, not here...

 The cop thinks that the Japanese is trying to pull a gun and says again,
"Freeze!"

 Being yelled at by the "robber", the Japanese gets more scared and upset and 
try to find cash more quickly. He finds his wallet in the chest pocket of his
jacket and pulls it out...

 The cop pulls the trigger thinking that the Japanese is going to shoot him.

 The Japanese falls down with a wallet in his right hand...

 The undercover cop approaches to the body of the Japanese.

 Another cop in the uniform comes and finds a "criminal" with a gun approaching
to a body. Then, .....

   [FIN]

  Sorry for too much imagination...

--Michiaki


Xref: sparky soc.culture.japan:12276 soc.culture.usa:9170 soc.culture.african.american:12836 misc.education:5207