Social behavior in Japan is highly controlled. There are rituals associated with virtually every social interaction. Beginning or ending a meal, entering or leaving a room, giving or receiving a gift – all of these behaviors are so highly ritualized that even a slight deviation from the socially accepted norm will result in uncomfortable laughter at best. More likely, devastating embarrassment and a complete breakdown of the social fabric will occur. Despite this, there are still many areas where one is free to deviate greatly from what is considered normal behavior in the West. These acceptable pathologies allow the Japanese to escape from the stifling social order which would otherwise completely suffocate their spiritual health.
The first of these behaviors is reserved for women. It is the phenomenon known as buriko. This word is a compound formed from the roots buru (to behave as) and ko (child). The buriko is a full-grown woman who behaves as a child in all social interactions. This enables her to escape stress by avoiding certain formalities and the pressures of an adult. Unfortunately, it comes at a cost. The high pitched screeching and silent clapping accompanied by small inventory of catch phrases – sugooooi & oishiiiii – actually does little to free her from the social prison in which she lives. In fact, buriko is well known to retard one’s maturity to the point she is basically indistinguishable from a six year old with a learning disorder. In addition, buriko has encouraged another acceptable pathology. This is the counterpart to buriko and only found in men.
Many Japanese men suffer from this pathology, which would be considered disgusting in some cultures and illegal in others. This is the phenomenon called lolicon. This word is also a compound formed from the English words: lolita and complex. Men who are afflicted with this disorder are pre-occupied with sexual fantasies involving young girls. Magazines, television ads, billboards and comics do little to alleviate the problem. In fact, lolicon is just another of the many ways Japanese men can escape the drudgery of their lives in a socially acceptable way. From image salons, where men can live out their fantasies of touching young girls on trains, to strip clubs and pink rooms, where they can receive sexual favors from girls dressed as children, men can easily free their minds from the monotony of their daily life.
Another common pathology in Japan, which is often mistaken for workaholism, is agoraphobia, an abnormal fear of being in crowds, public places or open areas. This disorder manifests itself in many ways starting at a young age. Unable to conform to the pressures of the group, a small child may seek solace in the nurse’s office. As time carries on and the child matures, he or she may join thousands of other hikikomori kids who never leave their rooms, afraid and ashamed they cannot fit into the rigid mold that is Japanese society. Many of these kids eventually recover the ability to leave their house and find a job, only to realize they have substituted one prison for another. Now, unable to leave their desks, these workplace agoraphobics shelter themselves into a safe place they call the spreadsheet.
The difference between a workplace agoraphobic and a true workaholic is the agoraphobic is not required to fulfill any actual work related tasks. In fact, any work, especially that which takes this person away from their comfort zone, causes this person extreme anxiety. Unsurprisingly, the workplace agoraphobic is the most common personality type in Japan.
Obsessive compulsive disorder, while comparatively rare in the western world, is a ubiquitous and encouraged pathology in Japan. People with OCD are often obsessed with making lists, over organizing, over planning, pathological rehearsal of events, writing and rewriting schedules, and voicing all of these excruciating details at lengthy pointless meetings. Some are compelled to obsessively collect coins or other objects and attempt to rationalize this behavior by showing them at any opportunity. While the healthy individual would be driven to drink by this neurotic behavior, the obsessive- compulsive subject thrives. He or she is able to ruffle or shred papers, make copies, reorganize schedules or any other compulsive behavior without fear of losing his or her job. These obsessions can grow into full fledged psychosis, at which point, the subject is usually promoted to a management position.
Another pathology, which has found a fertile breeding ground in Japan, is hypochondria, an excessive preoccupation with one's health. High taxes encourage a healthy flow of surplus money to pour into the nations’ hospitals. With universal health care, there is no reason not to visit one of the hundreds of local medical clinics in your area at least once a week. As universities and colleges crank out doctors and nurses faster than you can say “plagiarism,” you know there will never be a shortage. Hypochondria is a safe disorder in a country with diluted medicine as there is little of chance of a dangerous interaction. While some may complain that hypochondriacs tax the medical system, a quick visit to one of the local hospitals will reassure you that doctors in Japan are simply ‘workplace agoraphobics’.
Finally, I would like to discuss a common pathology which has not been well documented in Japanese literature although is can be found in every workplace. Schizotypal personality disorder is a psychiatric condition in which a person has difficulty with interpersonal relationships and disturbances in thought patterns, appearance, and behavior. It is manifested in following signature signs: talking loudly oneself, making noises at all times including but not limited to entering a room, sitting down, calling up another spreadsheet or dialing a telephone number. This person seeks comfort in loud slurping of tea, water and noodles. He (this disorder is more prevalent in men) will often carry on long meaningless monologues when alone for the vacuum of silence terrifies him. Here is an example of an acceptable pathological monologue recorded at one of my junior high schools by a certain music teacher we will simply call Mr Murasaki: “Eto eto eto nandaro nandaro eto desu eto desu eto desu neeee nandaro nandoro eto? Eeeeeeee ee ee ee ee eto eto desu neeeeeeee”
Unfortunately in this short essay, it is not possible to document all of the acceptable pathologies in Japanese society, as there are many (see my articles on compulsive lying, drinking, gambling, head bobbing, bowing, forced laughter, racism and exclusion of non-in-groups and shameless ass kissing for more information). I have chosen to highlight the most common in an effort to shed light on the universal reality that human beings require escape from drudgery and stifling control. Alcohol gives some relief but with the strict prohibition on psychedelic and opiate drugs, people must find other means of escape. Without a strong church to impose its delusions on the population, society has little choice but to accept certain pathological behaviors as normal.