He quickly set fire to his rice granary and people rushed uphill, to see what happened. The last person was already on top of the hill when the tsunami swept from the sea. Thus, the man's brave move saved the people from certain death.It was a typical story found in my grade-school textbook, and the teacher wrung every bit of 'moral lesson' she could get from it. But this Japanese story also surprised me.
This is also encapsulated in The Penguin Book of the Japanese Short Story, edited by Jay Rubin and introduced by Haruki Murakami. The latter's excellent introduction is called 'From Seppuku to Meltdown.'One of the themes in the book is Japan and the West. This section features three of the most famous modern Japanese writers. All three of their works depict wealthy intellectuals bewildered by the great differences between the cultures of Japan and the West.