The Japanese have always been inventive in devising ways of avoiding direct com-petition。Their elementary schools minimize it beyond what Americans would think pos-sible。Their teachers are instructed that each child must be taught to better his own re-cord and that he should not be given opportunities to compare himself with others。In their grade schools they do not even keep any students back to repeat a grade and all children who enter together go through their entire elementary education together。Their report cards grade children in elementary schools on marks for conduct but not on their school work：when really competitive situations are unavoidable，as in entrance exami-nations to the middle schools，the tension is understandably great。Every teacher has stories of the boys who when they know they have failed commit suicide。
This minimizing of direct competition goes all through Japanese life。An ethic that is based on on has small place for competition。Their whole system of hierarchy with all its detailed rules of class minimizes direct competition。The family system minimizes it too for the father and son are not institutionally in competition as they are in America：it is possible for them to reject each other but not for them to compete。
Etiquette of all kinds is organized to obviate shame-causing situations which might call in question one's giri to one's name。These situations which are thus minimized go far beyond direct competition。The host，they think，should greet his guest with certain ritual welcoming and in his good clothes。Therefore anyone who finds a farmer in his work clothes at home may have to wait a bit。The farmer gives no sign of recognition un-til he has put on suitable clothes and arranged the proper courtesies。It makes no differ-ence even if the host has to change his clothes in the room where the guest is waiting。He simply is not present until he is there in the proper guise。In the rural areas，too，boys may visit girls at night after the household is asleep and the girl is in bed。Girls can either accept or reject their advances，but the boy wears a towel bound about his face so that if he is rejected he need feel no shame next day。The disguise is not to prevent the girl from recognizing him；it is purely an ostrich technique so that he will not have to ad-mit that he was shamed in his proper person。Etiquette requires too that as little cogni-zance as possible be taken of any project until success is assured。It is part of the duties of go-betweens arranging a marriage to bring the prospective bride and groom together before the contract is completed。Everything is done to make this a casual meeting for if the purpose of the introduction were avowed at this stage any breaking-off of the negotia-tions would threaten the honor of one family or of both。Since the young couple must each be escorted by one or both of their parents，and the go-betweens must be the hosts or hostesses，it is most properly arranged when they all“run into each other”casually at the annual chrysanthemum show or in a well-known park or place of recreation。
In all such ways，and in many more，the Japanese avoid occasions in which failure might be shameful。Though they lay such emphasis on the duty to clear one's name of insult，in actual practice this leads them to arrange events so that insult need be felt as seldom as possible。This is in great contrast to many tribes of the Pacific Inlands where clearing one's name holds much the same pre-eminent place that it does in Japan。
The Japanese are paragons of politeness and this pre-eminent politeness is a meas-ure of the lengths to which they have gone in limiting the occasions when it is necessary to clear one's name。They retain as an incomparable goad to achievement the resentment insult occasions but they limit the situations where it is called for。It should occur only in specified situations or when traditional arrangements to eliminate it break down under pressure。Unquestionably the use of this goad in Japan contributed to the dominant posi-tion she was able to attain in the Far East and to her policy of Anglo-American war in the last decade。
The politeness of the Japanese should not lead Americans to minimize their sensitiv-ity to slurs。It is hard for us to realize the deadly seriousness that attaches to light re-marks in Japan。In his autobiography，published in America just as he wrote it in Eng-lish，a Japanese artist，Yoshio Markino，has described vividly a perfectly proper Japa-nese reaction to what he interpreted as a sneer。When he wrote the book he had already lived most of his adult life in the United States and in Europe but he felt as strongly as if he were still living in his home town in rural Aichi。He was the youngest child of a land-owner of good standing and had been most lovingly reared in a charming home。Toward the end of his childhood his mother dies，and，not long after，his father became bank-rupt and sold all his property to pay his debts。The family was broken up and Markino had not a cent to help him in realizing his ambitions。One of these ambitions was to learn English。He attached himself to a near-by mission school and did janitor work in order to learn the language。At eighteen he had still never been outside the round of a few provincial towns but he had made up his mind to go to America。
I visited upon one of the missionaries to whom I had more confidence than any other。I told him my intention to go to America in hope that he might be able to give me some useful information。To my great disappointment he exclaimed，“What，you are intending to go to America？”His wife was in the same room，and they both sneered at me！At the moment I felt as if the blood in my head went down to my feet！I stood on the same point for a few seconds in silence，then came back to my room without saying“good bye。”I said to myself，“Everything is quite finished。”
On the next morning I ran away。Now I want to write the reason。I always be-lieve that insincerity is the greatest crime in this world，and nothing could be more insincere that to sneer！
Even murderers I may forgive according to their condition。But about sneering，there is no excuse。Because one cannot sneer at innocent people without intentional insincerity。
Let me give you my own definition of two words。Murderer：one who assassi-nates some human flesh。Sneerer：one who assassinates others'SOUL and heart。
Soul and heart are far dearer than the flesh，therefore sneering is the worst crime。Indeed，that missionary and his wife tried to assassinate my soul and heart，and I had a great pain in my heart，which cried out，“why you？”
The next morning he departed with his entire possessions tied in a handkerchief。
He had been“assassinated，”as he felt，by the missionary's incredulity about a penniless provincial boy's going to the United States to become an artist。His name was besmirched until he had cleared it by carrying out his purpose and after the missionary's“sneer”he had no alternative but to leave the place and prove his ability to get to Amer-ica。
“Even murderers I may forgive according to their condition。But about sneering，there is no excuse。”since it is not proper to“forgive，”one possible reaction to a slur is revenge。Markino cleared his name by getting to American but revenge ranks high in Japanese tradition as a“good thing”under circumstances of insult or defeat。Yoshisabu-ro Okakura in a book on The life and Thought of Japan uses a particularly Japanese cus-tom as a parallel：
many of the so-called mental peculiarities of the Japanese owe their origin to the love of purity and its complementary hatred of defilement。But，pray，how could it be otherwise，being trained，as we actually are，to look upon slights inflicted，either on our family honor or on the national pride，as so many defilements and wounds that would not be clean and heal up again，unless by a thorough washing through vindi-cation？You may consider the cases of vendetta so often met with in the public and private life of Japan，merely as a kind of morning tub which a people take with whom love of cleanliness has grown into a passion。
And he continues，saying that thus the Japanese“live clean，undefiled lives which seem as serene and beautiful as a cherry tree in full bloom。”This“morning tub，”in other words，washes off dirt other people have thrown at you and you cannot be virtuous as long as any of it sticks to you。The Japanese have no ethic which teaches that a man-cannot be insulted unless he thinks he is and that it is only“what comes out of a man”that defiles him，not what is said or done against him。