I think I worded it fine, although I admit I did not word it in a way that would prevent someone who choses to interpret it in the worst way possible from doing so.
Their personal honor, their personal self interest is measured in how they honor others, how they satisfy their duty to others. They feel a true personal obligation to the society as a whole. Restaurant owners make sure that the sidewalk and street is clean in front of their store...no need for the city to handle that...tragedy of the commons is less of a problem there. Even their rooftops are clean.
Their schools don't need janitors, because the students clean the classrooms and the bathrooms themselves--think about that. In the US, students sue for inhumane treatment and win, when they are tasked with cleaning bathrooms as a punishment. In Japan, cleaning bathrooms is a thing of honor...a matter of personal pride.
Attention to detail and quality is overwhelming there. There is very little "can I get away with this" thinking over there (unlike in US...of course, China is worse than the US in that regard). That is what I like about Japan culture...their sense of duty.
The suicides etc. is an over the top by product of their sense of duty to society...a product of their leadership's unfair exploitation of their sense of duty. Obviously, there is a balance to be maintained. I just think we could move more in their direction and thereby improve our own society. But, we don't value integration and unity, we value diversity and disunity.