Nakane ChieThinkers

Hierarchy is basic to Japan’s whole notion of man's relation to his fellow man and of man's relation to the State; thus, any attempt to understand the Japanese must begin with their version of what it means to 'take one's proper station.'

Japanese society is a vertical society, which is to say that human relations are based on 'place' (shared space) instead of 'attribute' (qualification).

Oyabun-kobun is the relationship between two individuals of upper and lower status in Japan. It is the basis of the structural principle of Japanese society.

Vertical society is a society (such as in Japanese) in which human relations are based on 'place' (shared space) instead of 'attribute' (qualification).

The Wife is , in Japan, the victim of a sociological weakness; however, her eventual role as mistress of the household ensures that the power and influence of women is discreetly maintained in Japanese society.