英語メデイアにおける阪神大震災-日本的ストイシズムを読む
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概要
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The Great Hanshin Earthquake Disaster of 1995 was second only to the Great Kanto Earthquake Disaster of 1923. In 1995,just fifty years after World War II, an NHK poll has indicated that the Great Hanshin Earthquake is considered the biggest event of the year, more significant even than the 50 year celebration of the end of World War II. More space and time have been accorded to the reporting of the earthquake by both Japanese and foreign media than to any other single event since the war itself. Because of the world-wide renown of the Osaka-Kobe area and the importance of Kobe as an international port city, the news of the earthquake there spread globally quite quickly and was detailed. In this regard, English as an international language facilitated active international reportage. Foreign media were Quick to arrive and their presence was teeming with activity. In their reports, descriptions of the Japanese character in response to the disaster were most noticeable, accentuating the mentality of the people more than even their behavior, attempting to explain the actions of the people through their mentality. National character can be discussed from various angles, from many different points of view. Nevertheless the two major areas observed were those of actions and the mentality behind those actions. These two can be thought of as the visible and the invisible sides of the same character fablic. Under such extra ordinary circumstances as the natural disaster that a major earthquake is, the actions of the Japanese people involved were perceived and reported abroad as reflecting the particular mentality of the Japanese people as a whole. Stoicism was at the heart of the Japanese mentality, restraining the people from both emotional or unauthorized and unlawful panic reaction in the face of a major natural disaster. This is in stark contrast to the violence and looting by the frustrated mobs that characterized the immediate aftermath of the quake in Northridge, Los Angeles, in 1994.
- 1996-03-20