Japan’s deep connection to childish relationships (2019)

The longer I lived in Japan, the more I realized that generalizations about Japan are naive/mistaken. And yes I know they come from enthusiasm and meant positively.

My dad used to take me to a old-fashioned shop which was not very conveniently located but offered good discount (we were not exactly well-off so that mattered). It was located at the end of a dead alley away from the main road, the owner would hardly speak beyond a few words and my dad, who loved to bargain and haggle everywhere, would simply pay the bill with zero fuss. It was sort of an odd ritual which stopped when I left my city to find work elsewhere.

Now a days, we don't need to bother going there just for those discounts any more. However, every time I go back home, I tell my dad to go shopping for the same stuff and he invariably takes me to the same shop. I select what I want and when the bill comes, I never pay. Scratch that, I don't even offer/try to pay - he pays.

To borrow from the article, that is my amae from him. Furthermore, it my amae that is guaranteed to be successful, no matter what comes in life. The contentment that assurance brings is irreplaceable.

Previous discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21793936