stoicism

Stoicism is a much-valued attribute in Japan, where many regard it as a carryover from the days of feudal samurai, whose code of Bushido discouraged them from expressing great emotion. My experience in decades of living here is that many people have great perseverance, and the ability of so many to cope with natural and other disasters has filled me with empathy and admiration. But I had always been dismissive of the claims of stoicism, citing the exaggerated use of bandages, crutches and other medical paraphernalia for apparently minor injuries, or the outrageous lengths people go to coping with the rain, including umbrellas, rain shoes and heavy duty wet-weather gear….