Second Opinion / OTHER MEDIA : RAFU SHIMPO : In Age of Empty Promises, Need for <i> Chanto</i> Grows

When referring to the philosophies of the Issei in the U.S., Japanese Americans use such terms as gaman (perseverance) and enryo (reserve).

I’d like to offer another one-- chanto .

Chanto is one of these Japanese colloquialisms that doesn’t have an exact English equivalent. Literally, it means “in good order,” “thoroughly” and “properly,” but in practice, it covers much more.

Anybody raised by a Japanese-influenced parent or grandparent has heard the phrase “ chanto shinasai ,” or “be chanto .” It can be said in reference to an upturned shirt collar, talking too loud, arriving to an appointment late, improperly folding origami cranes, chewing gum at a funeral or paying bills late.

I, myself, am a chanto rebel. My natural inclination is toward the intangibles--feelings, principles, spirituality--not the tangible. Rules, they’re meant to be broken. Ask me my thoughts about any controversy and I’ll comply. But ask me about where I left my coffee cup that morning and I’d probably be stumped.

It’s nothing to do with my upbringing--my mother is the master of chanto . But ever since childhood, I was always losing my sweater or laughing too loud. Definitely a chanto mother’s nightmare.

But the older I get and the more I observe the Japanese American community, I see the value of chanto . A yes means yes, and no means no. It’s very simple, but so rare in this fast-paced society of empty promises:

“Let’s get together sometime.”

“I’ll have it ready by the end of the day.”

“I’ll take care of it.”

“The check is in the mail.”

We’ve all said and heard these things, but have we always followed through?

Admittedly, today’s society is so high-pressured; we can literally drive ourselves crazy about being anal retentive and detail oriented. And to demonstrate ritual without heart is worthless.

But there is something to be said about being chanto in this day and age. With the Issei and Nisei populations fading away, this is one principle that needs to go on.