Rel 223 - Confucius Lives Next Door

Felicia Rayam

September 24, 2017

REL 223

Dr. Hartley

Book Review: Confucius Lives Next Door

“Confucius Lives Next Door: What Living in the East teaches us about living in the West” by T.R. Reid was a very interesting and insightful book. It tells the story of a reporter T.R. Reid who moved he and his family of five from Castle Rock, Colorado to Tokyo, Japan after receiving the position of running the Washington post in that location. While preparing to move, Reid and his family had been studying everything that was needed to know about Japan, and the Asian culture. While reading this book, Reid painted a vivid picture of just how different Japan was from the United States of America and after reading about all the differences including the ways of Confucianism, it really makes you think about moving there just because of how different and great things are there.

In the beginning of the book Reid talks about the “social miracle” that Asia has to offer. Which leads him to describing how they have the safest streets, the best educational system in the world, and the strongest families’ due to their beliefs in Confucianism and “Asian Values”.  For instance, the crime rate in Japan is so much lower than the United States and that is because there is such low rate of drug abuse in East Asian, then it is in the United States. Although it does happen there, it is very rare for something such as kidnapping, rape, drug use, theft, etc. to happen, which makes the streets safe for families and even kids by themselves to walk the streets alone. Another important value that was describe by Reid was marriage and family. In the Asian society was two people are married they are family, and maintaining a stable family is considered a duty owed to society. As far as divorce goes, it is shameful for a couple to become divorced, and in Japan someone who gets divorced is known as a “batsu-ichi” which means a one-time failure. Being that there is such a low divorce rate in East Asian countries every child is raised in a two-parent home. According to Reid people in East Asia follow the doctrines of Confucianism and each moral value is instilled on every member of the society.

Also, while getting accustomed to the culture of East Asia, Reid experienced the five virtues of Confucian. Those virtues are jen, yi, li, chih, and hsin, they were taught by Confucius and signified the way people lived in East Asia.  Jen is the virtue of benevolence, charity, and humanity, which shows how people in East Asia get along with one another in peace and harmony and is another explanation on why the crime rate is so low. Yi means of honesty and uprightness. Li means correct behavior or propriety which Reid experienced when he stated that every activity followed a précised order. And chih which means wisdom and hsin which means faithfulness and trustworthiness.