Japan and the Uses of Adversity

FEW bright spots illuminate the bleak sequence of calamities unfolding in Japan. But here are two: the quotidian, stoic heroism with which so many Japanese have responded to devastating loss and terrifying danger; and the outpouring of sympathy and support for them from around the world. In the many parts of Asia where anti-Japanese sentiment runs deep, the disasters may even mark a turning-point in attitudes, bringing a new respect and warmth to perceptions of Japan.