If I had to choose a word that characterized a good deal of Japanese social behavior it would probably be jishuku.
Jishuku's English equivalent is "self-control" or, perhaps, "self-discipline." The verb jishuku suru means "to restrain oneself" or "to keep a rein on one's behavior."
Much of the enviable harmony evident in Japanese society is undoubtedly due to jishuku — an ounce of which is clearly worth a pound of pressure.