Socially Engaged Emotions in Japan Closeness and interdependence are fostered by Japanese child-rearing practices, and some psychologists believe they also form the basis for such other-focused emotions as amae, a central emotion to Japanese culture (Markus & Kitayama, 1991). Amae can be defined as the sense of being lovingly cared for and unconditionally accepted by another person. Amae can be achieved only within a reciprocal, interdependent relationship with someone else. Thus, amae is a prototypical example of a socially engaged emotion—an other-focused emotion that creates and fosters interdependence with significant others (Rothbaum & others, 2007; Yamaguchi & Ariizumi, 2006).

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