The evidence that Reid presents of this social miracle comes from both his experience from living in Japan and from statistical data. He says about his family’s experience, “…this social miracle touched us- it influenced our daily life, for the better,” (Reid 20). Reid’s family quickly learned that in Japan they could live without fear. They did not have to worry about things like walking in the dark alone at night, leaving their luggage unattended, or locking their bikes up. They had a basic confidence that everyone in their family, even their smallest child, could go anywhere in the massive city at any time, without worrying about crime. Reid says, “And this made a fundamental difference in the way we led our lives,” (Reid 20).

this social miracle, according to Reid, is the underlying ethical values embedded into the people of the society. These values are called Confucian values, or the Asian Way (Reid 228).

In his book Reid describes a “coming of age” ceremony that he attended while in Japan. The important speaker for the event asked the twenty year olds of the audience to be responsible members of society. The speaker specifically asked these young adults to follow two role models in particular: their mother and father. He said,

Japan’s crime statistics clearly demonstrate why the Reid family felt so safe. Compared to the United States, the major crimes committed in Japan are far less. For example, in 1996, per 100,000 people, the United States had 7.53 murders and Japan had 0.97; the United States had 255.8 robberies while Japan had only 1.75; the United States had 1,099 burglaries and Japan had 187 (Reid 23). These numbers demonstrate clearly that the United States statistics on crime are way more then double that of Japan. There is no wonder the Reid family felt so safe compared to their home in America. But what is even more astonishing is that the Japanese achieve these low levels of crime without police-state tactics. By looking at statistics you would think that the Japan is unprepared to fight crime. Compared to the United States the country has one-third as many police, one-fifth as many judges, on twentieth as many jail cells. The obvious question here seems to be, “how do they do it?” Well, the Japanese believe that to build a safe and civil society you have to start long before the police get involved.

Some topics in this essay:
East Asia, Compared United, East Asian, Middle Kingdom, Asian Reid, Asia’s Confucian, East Asia’s, Western Europe, Schooling Japan, Confucians” Reid, social miracle, east asian, east asia’s, ethical values, economic miracle, east asia, miracle social miracle, values seen, safe compared, reid family, reid 20, family safe compared, reid family safe, east asian countries,