The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

CUSTOM

"ON" IS ONE OF THE MAJOR FORMS OF SOCIAL CUSTOMS WHICH FORMS THE
BASIS OF JAPANESE SOCIAL BEHAVIOR FROM
ANCIENT TIMES, ROUGHLY MEANING
"MORAL AND MATERIAL INDEBTEDNESS", IF INCURRED, IT OBLIGATES THE
INDIVIDUAL TO DISCHARGE HIS DEBT, HOWEVER GREAT OR SMALL, AT THE
COST OF ONE'S FAMILY HONOR AND NAME. EVEN IN THE MATTER OF GIFT_
GIVING, THE RECEIVER FEELS OBLIGATED TO RETURN A GIFT IN KIND.
JAPANESE DO NOT GET INVOLVED WITH OTHERS BECAUSE BY THE ACT OF
HELPING SOMEONE HE AUTOMATICALLY PLACES THAT PERSON HELPED IN A
POSITION OF "ON", WHO IN TURN MUST CANCEL OUT THIS DEBT, COME
WHAT MAY.

Submitter comment: INFORMANT LEARNED THE ABOVE WHILE GROWING UP IN JAPAN.

Where learned: JAPAN

Keyword(s): FRIENDS RELATIVES HONOR DEBT

Date learned: 08-01-1964