Thank you for pointing out the LA Times article about bicycle theft in Japan. As an American resident of Japan I feel you have touched upon one of the most important yet little noticed distinctions between these two cultures -- respect for property.When I first studied and traveled to Japan I thought this was primarily a respect for law and a fear of getting caught in such a close-knit and crowded country. You pointed out the oppressive conditions in Japanese prisons, but I have come to realize that there is much more to it. The prison conditions may be a deterrent, but I wonder if those in Japanese prisons take much notice of how their lives are observed and controlled. I say this since I doubt if many American property owners take much notice of their own compromised freedoms. Now this sounds like hyperbole, but after moving to Japan it took me some time to fully appreciate the differences, and now the US situation seems unacceptably oppressive to me. "Kelo" would be...(Read Full Post)