日本語もあるよ! ココをどうぞ!

June 6, 2001

"Globalization and Japan"

21st century has come but it was a kind of dream when I was a kid. Recent 5 to 6 years changes in internet and IT innovation are dramatically fast. In such a circumstance, I strongly wanted to think over how Japan should be in 21st century and how we should keep and grow this beautiful country.

I love United States. Because of job assignment, I had a chance to stay in the States approximately 10 years so that my thoughts have grown even more. I would say, "U.S.A. is the most successful country which is enjoying the life in terms of human nature as well as sophisticated civilization at the same time". When I arrived in the States back in 1988, Japanese economy power was still very strong and it would not become weakened, I did believed. But people in the States did not even care about Japanese aggressiveness in various industries and stayed cool, did not work overtime and their first priorities are spending time with families so that they seemed to enjoying the human life as their best days. A few years later in early 1990's, Microsoft's Windows came up and made innovative changes in everywhere. Everybody knows U.S.A. has showed its potential power since then. Today, United States of America is the one and only super power in the world and I believed it is the ideal advanced country as world standard.

Later, I came back in Japan and have become in charge of sales for Asian, European and United States market. I started to get touch with various countries' cultures and people. As one example, I would like to talk about some incident at Uffizi Art Museum in Italy. Before opening, there was a long line in front of the museum and one guy tried to sneaky break into the line. At the same time, the big young girl who looked like American was scolding at him, "Hey, what are you doing? Stay away back to the end of the line!" The guy went away dispiritedly but other people on the line seemed strange to me. The girl did right thing but people's icy eyes looked at her not him. Another example, when I visited Taipei first time, president of our authorized distributor said to me, "You work for Japanese company. I believe, therefore that you will understand but I can not speak everything honestly to our partner in U.S.A." Here is one more when I had a dinner with our Korean partner. He said, "Korea and Japan are similar to U.S.A. in terms of economy and industry but both we are Asian and we do understand and feel people in the discouraged countries more than U.S.A. without telling in details, right?"

Soon after that, I had a problem with our partner in the United States. It should be a small trouble, I thought in the beginning. But finally we had to pay an unreasonably expensive fee to reach to the reconciliation. People say, "It's wrong but we have to say that we have got a lucky to finalize the file with the amount of money". I started to wonder "Something seriously wrong with the United States".

Even though it's extremely wonderful country, U.S.A. is not world standard. In other words, there is no country that is so called world standard. The example at Uffizi tells us "Every person has impolite thing in his/her mind. How can you act as if you are the perfect?" The examples in Taiwan and Korea tell us, "We sometimes don't want to clearly say, yes or no".

Everything becomes so convenient that U.S.A. is winning and running at the head of these advanced technologies. But I feel as if U.S.A. has been loosing something very important as human being. Even in Japan, there have been many young fellows' abnormal crimes and their attitudes getting so rude in a public place. These trends seem to me that they were born in the U.S.A., grew up there and brought into Japan. The more young fellows continue to increase who love virtual world and don't know the difference from real world, the more dangerous situation in the world would become reality and I am seriously anxious about it.

I would like to emphasize then, which direction Japan should move forward in 21st century as concept. Let's establish "Asian Trade and Obligation Zone(A to Z)". "A to Z" means that all the people are different but we have to respect each other and we should clarify and define A to Z about how to proceed and spread kindness and obligation spirits as people's nature throughout the world.
The key word of globalization in 21st century will be "Back To The Human Being". We, Japan have 2 different faces, i.e., one is the only one country which had got atomic bomb and able to feel people's pain from heart. Another is the country who made serious mistakes in various places in Asia and gave pain to the people there. In spite we have such a history, Japan has to thank everybody since we have become one of the most advanced countries after critical and tough time at World War II. We, therefore have to speak up to other countries to search for richness in terms of spirits and hearts as well as industrial and economical richness with well-balanced attitude starting from Asian region. We, Japan can be a leader to be kind for the earth and hold gently those who have suffered with our deep affection to show the ideal model society which is filled with real love and obligation spirits as human nature throughout the world.

How do you feel about above? Awaiting for your comments with thanks.