Believe it or not this post was inspired by a guy taking a piss in public.
As I was on my run tonight, I rounded a curve to hear the sound of water splashing on the ground. I looked across the street and saw an old man taking a leak on a telephone pole. I was reminded of the public urination riot that I read about once taking place here. I was further reminded of a comment on one of my previous posts that I was never able to get back to, but which has stuck with me. I get comments like this quite regularly, considering that I am not a really well-known blogger at present:
Doesn't it suck being in Japan??? It is one of the most collectivist, authoritarian countries there is!
Well. Yes, and no. The thing is, surprisingly to some, I find my life here in Japan to be much more libertarian friendly than t ever was back in the states, with a few exceptions. Let me lay it out for you.
THINGS YOU CAN DO IN JAPAN:
- Take a leak in public without being listed as a registered sex offender.
- Drink alcohol in the streets, at the beach, and at most parks.
- Breastfeed (women, of course) your child freely (no one is "scandalized") and with the support of almost all medical institutions.
- Be remarkably secure in your personal possessions in public.
- Drive rental cars without showing your license.
- Open small businesses with minimal to no red tape, regulations, licenses, and hassle.
- Make purchases with Bitcoin and utilize Bitcoin ATMs.
- Talk about your body, bodily functions, sex, and other "taboo" topics largely without the childish shame, guilt, "scandal," and uncomfortable joking found in Western culture.
- Freedom (for now) of choice regarding vaccination.
- Pretty much do your own thing and be left the fuck alone, generally speaking.
Now, these are of course generalizations, but as generalizations they hold true here, in my experience. There are many ways in which Japan does suck, some of which being the Draconian gag laws stifling the press, laughably (if not for being so pathetic) strict laws and punishment for possession of marijuana and other substances, and a lemming-like collectivist mentality that can be found in the culture which praises the "virtue" of following the leaders and "the group," as superior to individual dissent and thought.
Final Thoughts.
I am an anarchist. All violence-based, coercive nation states are illegitimate in my view. But, when it comes to anarchists or libertarians asking other anarchists or libertarians: "What are you doing in ------- ? Doesn't it suck!?" I think an important point is often missed. Ironically, it is that the conduciveness of a given country to freedom for a given individual is a largely individual matter. We all have our choices and preferences. We'd be missing the point to return to implicitly arguing for the nation states we so vehemently oppose by arguing that any VIOLENCE-BASED STATE is a bastion of freedom. Sure, some are much better than others. I have no interest in going to live somewhere under Sharia law, for instance. But, when it comes to Japan and the USA, it kind of all seems to balance out to me.
Smoke cannabis here: 5 years hard labor, bitch. In Chicago: Gimme a hundred bucks, kid. Now get outta here.
Don't vaccinate here: That's your choice as a parent. California: Vaccinate or we will steal your child from you.
Japanese guy: sipping beer in park "We are not that smart and free like America." American guy: "I love being free. I would hate to live in Ja...OH FUCK HERE COME THE COPS! DITCH THE BEERS! WE CAN'T DRINK HERE!"
See what I mean? 6 of 1. Half a dozen of the other.
I guess to me Japan is still the baker's dozen, because, for me, I am much more free to be myself here than I ever was in the states. But that is just my story. What say you, international Steemians!? How free do you feel where you are now?
(NOTE: I am still quite conscious that I am no friend of the state, and it is possible to be locked away potentially just for my anti-taxation posts, etc, I make here on social media. This actually makes me feel quite nervous. But hey, shit in the states isn't much better with the emerging police state. Recently I think a focus on growing food, building communities, and self-defense is paramount in these fucking crazy times. If some other option opens up that is much more free, I will go there!)
~KafkA
Graham Smith is a Voluntaryist activist, creator, and peaceful parent residing in Niigata City, Japan. Graham runs the "Voluntary Japan" online initiative with a presence here on Steem, as well as Facebook and Twitter. (Hit me up so I can stop talking about myself in the third person!)