When powering through goes too far in Japan

One thing I've struggled with during my time here is the idea that powering through discomfort is somehow a virtue. Perseverance is an admirable quality, of course, but there are times when I wonder if Japan takes ganbaru a little too far.

A blog I read today from BigFamJapan mentioned tennis practice for kids continuing despite dangerously hot conditions, and it made me think about how often the answer to difficult circumstances seems to be simply pushing on. In extreme heat, though, continuing to play isn't what I would call resilience, it can be life threatening.

There's also the expectation of going to work when you're sick because taking a day off might inconvenience everyone else. In my home country, if you're sick, you're sick. Sometimes people might just "chuck a sickie" (slang for having the day off when you're not really ill), to get some downtime. 

I've even seen the idea of pushing through around pain. A friend who had a C-section here was given relatively simple painkillers afterwards, even though she was in significant pain. Coming from Australia where stronger pain relief after major surgery isn't unusual, I found that surprising.

There's nothing wrong with being resilient, of course, but suffering shouldn't automatically be treated as proof of strength.