WHERE ARE "AMERICANISM AND JAPANISM" GOING?
--A Japanese View--
Hello. To those of you listening to my talk, I would like to announce first that this is not only for Japanese students, but for people around the world. I hope this speech will be widespread, and that many people will understand its important message. I am going to be talking about "Americanism" and "Japanism", terms for the basic traits and traditions of both nations. First I would like to mention that the United States and Japan are so closely related -- their relationship is so close -- that we are nearly inseparable. Each country cannot think of herself without thinking of the other. Especially Japan. The United States, besides providing a tremendous market for Japan, is such an important world leader. The U.S. influence upon Japan is so great that we certainly cannot do without her.
My topic is "Where are Americanism and Japanism going?" Sometimes it is difficult to look at oneself objectively, from within. But if you look at somebody else, from the outside, your observations will likely be quite enlightening, and could be a positive influence on his or her growth. So I would like to look at both the United States and Japan, objectively. Since I am Japanese, it may be difficult for me to look at Japan with complete objectivity. However, I did spend five years in the United States during college, so I was able to develop a somewhat objective view towards Japan as well.
I. Positive and Negative Aspects of Americanism
II. Popularity and Business
III. Initiators and Followers
IV. Spreading Ideas
A. Speech
B. Delivering a Speech
V. The Decision-Making Process
VI. Value Systems
VII. Heterogeneous vs. Homogeneous Societies
VIII. Where Are Americanism and Japanism Going?
IX. Starvation-Prevention Insurance
X. An Internationally-Minded Person
I. Positive and Negative Aspects of Americanism
Let me first explain what "Americanism" is. The concept of Americanism has been popular in Japan since the end of World War II, so that many things here seem to have been Americanized significantly. Some Japanese customs have changed. Japanese advertising, for example, is almost totally western. Most advertisements these days are written in English or with the Roman alphabet, because these are more attractive to Japan's young people.
First, let's take a look at some of the positive aspects of Americanism. A typical example of positive Americanism is sports, and the most popular in Japan is baseball. There are twelve professional teams in Japan, and the sport has become so popular that you rarely meet someone who does not want to watch baseball on TV or at the stadium. You can see this positive aspect through the rise of good players, like Sadaharu Oh or Shigeo Nagashima, who have become famous not only in Japan but in the United States as well. The positive influence of American sports is not confined to baseball. Other popular western sports include basketball, volleyball, golf, football, tennis, aerobics, jogging, and more, all of which were popularized in the United States. Of course, sports aren't the only positive aspects of Americanism: comfortable and convenient materials, good sanitary methods, modern architecture, democracy, and freedom are also important. The last two, however, may pose some philosophical questions, which are beyond the scope of this talk.
However, "Americanism" has its negative aspects, too. The most striking example is the atomic bomb, for Japan is the only country in the world to have experienced nuclear attack in both Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Since then, I would say that Japanese people have been afraid of the word "nuclear" because of its association with the explosions in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Most Japanese people have visited the towns as part of their schooling, and on their own, as well. They have seen the dreadful scenes in the pictures and imagined the cruelty of the explosions as they viewed the deformed parts of things preserved in the memorial buildings of these cities. Some Japanese oppose everything related to the word "nuclear", such as nuclear power stations and nuclear weapons. Some families even refuse to use electricity, claiming that some of the electricity is coming from a nuclear power station. Other people demonstrate against the construction of new nuclear power stations. Japan maintains three principles concerning nuclear weapons. (1)We do not make nuclear weapons. (2)We do not own nuclear weapons. (3)We do not bring nuclear weapons into Japan. Another negative aspect of "Americanism" is the disease of AIDS. We are very afraid of infectious or contagious diseases that could spread throughout Japan. There are several other negative aspects of Americanism: imperialism, materialism, wastefulness, drug abuse, violent crimes, and so forth from which evolve many philosophical, political, and social questions.
Japan has assimilated, to some degree, both aspects of Americanism. positive and negative. Let me mention one way that Japanese eating habits have changed. In a 1988 edition of the Mainichi Daily News, an article stated that "ten hamburger chains are now operating 3,000 hamburger shops in Japan and that last year 550 million hamburgers were sold in Japan for total sales of 500 billion yen." These figures referred to 1987, so they have probably grown. However, even 500 billion yen in sales is very large. Japan's younger generation likes hamburgers and other American foods: potato chips, pizzas, hotdogs, ice cream. These days the Japanese eat lots of meat -- beef, pork, and chicken -- instead of fish. And we also use several preservatives, chemicals, and insecticides to prevent foods from damage by insects or disease. So now we are likely ingesting these possibly dangerous preservatives, additives, and chemicals. Also, if we eat too much meat, our bodies will accumulate too much cholesterol. Although fast foods are convenient, they are not really healthy compared to traditional Japanese foods which tend to be as natural as possible. There are many other aspects of Americanism, too, both positive and negative. I have mentioned just a few.
II. Popularity and Business
Since Japan and the United States are free societies in which free enterprise dominates and economic competition thrives, merchants and businessmen are constantly tuned in to what is popular. Japanese business people in particular, are paying attention to what is popular in the United States. For, if it's popular in the United States, there is potential for making it popular in Japan as well. Following the ideology of convenience which had spread over the United States, Japanese people have been inclined to prefer more convenient things as well. Fast foods are a good, popular example. Thirty years ago, we had few, if any, western fast-food restaurants in Japan. Now fast food-food restaurants abound. Some people even applied the concept of fast-food to Japanese foods such as sushi. Some sushi restaurants have been adapted to the fast-food life style, with various kinds of sushi, already on plates, passing in front of diners on a conveyor belt.
Another good example of the relationship between popularity and business is Pop music. The boom of rock music, especially, has become so great that Japanese businessmen are trying to invite American rock stars to Japan to perform in huge stadiums where twenty or thirty thousand youngsters gather. Billions of yen are brought in by the performance of just one person, such as Michael Jackson, Madonna, or Whitney Houston. Obviously, popularity is very closely tied to what could become big business.
III. Initiators and Followers
So far I talked about how some aspects of Americanism have influenced Japan. Generally, Americans tend to take initiative and the Japanese tend to follow. Although it's a generalized observation, overall it seems to be true that Americans are initiators and Japanese are followers. Let's look briefly at how Americans tend to become initiators. Since the American continent is such a large area, American people have been comparatively more free to use the land. This was especially true of the pioneers. They could go to west, cultivate the land, and actually claim that "This is my land." The American people had been and to some extent still are encouraged to go ahead and develop the land. That attitude was indispensabel to the pioneers. If they were hesitant and not aggressive enough, they might have ended up with wild, poor land. Gold rushing is another American example of how initiators could succeed. Oil mining is yet another. The so-called American dream is to gain a large profit in an instant. Today you could be a poor beggar, but tomorrow you might be a very rich man simply by discovering oil or gold, or by doing something new to impress other people. Anyway, in the united States if you take initiative, people will admire you. And if whatever you do is successful, then it could spread across the country, and enable you to make an even larger profit. Composers, for example, can potentially create popular style of music that eventually has international influence and earns them lots of money. So in America, inventions and creativity are emphasized, and people are not as hesitant to take initiative.
Japanese people, on the other hand, are very afraid of taking initiative, an attitude which stems from the Japanese farming tradition. Farmers had to cooperate to cultivate Japan's limited land, and they had to report everything to their governor. In other words, they were more group-oriented. They did not decide individually. Instead they worked together in groups to achieve certain goals. Their priority was not to be creative or unique or take initiative, but to act harmoniously. Harmony was the most important thing among Japanese people. If you disturbed the harmony of the group, you would be treated as a traitor or an outsider. So you would end up conforming with the group according to the well-known Japanese proverb: "the nail that stands up shall be hammered down." Besides, farmers used to ostracize anyone who disturbed the harmony of the group. In Japanese we use the terms "Murahachibu" or "Tsumahajiki". Once ostracized or "murahachibunisareru", it would be very difficult to get help from the group because not a single person in the group was allowed to associate with you. The Japanese people had to follow whatever the group wanted to do, for they were afraid of being "murahachibunisareru " or ostracized. As another common proverb says, "Seniharawa kaerarenai", meaning "Self-preservation is nature's first law", Japanese people are motivated to conform within the group for self preservation. Even today, this custom hasn't changed greatly. The best behavior for Japanese people is still to take whatever has become popular within the group, to encourage it within the group, and even to spread it over other groups. Although Americans tend to be creative, Japanese people are afraid of doing something new. Instead, Japanese people take whatever has been invented or has become popular and try to improve the product or its technology to make it more popular, or easier to "market" throughout the country. Of course, some of the things created in the United States are not directly appropriate for Japan, so the Japanese have made a habit of changing or revising them slightly so that they can quickly become popular here, too.
IV. Spreading Ideas
The next item I would like to present is how Americans tend to communicate or market whatever they have invented, initiated, or created. There are several ways. The first is "speech". In America, speech prevails over silence. During the last U.S. presidential campaign the great debates between Bush and Dukakis became so heated that most American citizens watched the debates on TV and tried to determine who won. Speech is certainly important when you want to spread your thoughts, your ideas, your dreams, your strategies, or your creations. You have to speak up. It's not enough just to take initiative. You also have to tell about what you have initiated so that people will pay attention to you: Only then can you become successful. Yes, speech is very important in the United states. Even children learn how to speak up in classrooms, and how to give speeches at school.
On the other hand, from childhood Japanese people have been discouraged from making speeches. Instead, they try not to speak up. As I said before, traditionally, Japanese people are group-oriented. They still stick to the group concept developed by the farmers, although most Japanese are not farmers anymore. Still, they try to keep the harmony within the group. If one particular individual speaks up, he or she will automatically have a negative influence on the group, simply by disturbing it, even if what is said is positive. Japanese people tend to emphasize the neagtive, -- the disruption -- whether it is an intended or unintended part of the communication. If each individual within the group spoke up, there would be a confusion. That is what Japanese people think. They are afraid of disturbing the group or being treated as Murahachibu. So in Japan, silence prevails over speech. If you are quiet, Japanese people in general tend to think you are wise. Being quiet is considered good in Japan. Being noisy isn't. Even if you are trying to be cheerful and active, you could be considered noisy or unreserved, which may disturb the group harmony or bother the meditative state of the listners.
Also, Japanese people are very afraid of making mistakes. If you make a mistake, it certainly disturbs the group or the group atmosphere. If the mistake is serious, you might be treated as a murahachibu. Mistakes bring shame, on you or the group. If you had done something shameful, it is against the manner of Bushido. In Edo period, for example, if a samurai warrior is publicly shameful, then his life is equal to death at that moment. So you might have had to commit suicide by cutting your abdomen ("seppuku" or "harakiri") for having made a serious mistake or having done something terribly shameful. That is why people tend to become silent. The three monkeys' principles tell us these: Even if you see something, pretend that you're not looking at it. Even if you hear something, pretend that you're not hearing it. And even if you have something to say, pretend that you have nothing to do with it and say nothing about it. For you are afraid of being treated as a murahachibu later if you tell or do something which might disturb the group. It may sound like Japanese people are not courageous. This is because traditionally it has been very difficult for Japanese people to ask for forgiveness when they have done something wrong. On the other hand, in America it seems easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission. George Washington provided an early example. Just honestly saying that you wanted to try your hatchet, so you chopped down the cherry tree does not make any sense to Japanese people. They would ask, "Why didn't you ask for permission first before chopping the tree with your hatchet?" In other words, in Japan you must go through certain routes before you take action. We say "Sujio tohsu" in Japanese, which means the process is much more important than the goal or tthe result. Individual goals are not so important. Rather, the group and its harmony are key. Therefore, silence generally prevails over speech in Japan, whereas speech prevails over silence in the United States.
Americans also tend to pay attention to how a speech is given. Ideas are usually communicated deductively. Deduction begins with a general statement, followed by more specific information to support it. Syllogism work that way. For example, let's start with the premise that all human beings are mortal. A secondary statement would be that I am a human being. Therefore, we can conclude that I am mortal. This syllogism is valid and true. Americans tend to use syllogisms as theof their logic. They also use induction. Induction develops an idea from the specific to the general. You begin with a particular example, then generalize it. So in America, surveys have become very important. Taking a sample and applying statistics to it is an effective way to convince other people. There are other ways to convince people, too. Presenting evidence can be extremely important. Showing something tangible, like pictures, fingerprints, and so forth has become an important form of persuation. Scientific observations and experiments have become popular persuasive elements, too. And the use of statistics is perhaps the most popular. Probably no other nation in the world can compete with the United States in this field. I imagine that Americans have learned to incorportate these elements when they give a speech, and they will continue to search for better ways to convince people. V. The Decision-Making Process
Let's move on to the Decision- Making Process. How do Americans make decisions? How do Japanese make decisions? In my opinion, the process is completely different. In the western style, the first step is to set goals. Second, they plan. Third, they analyze the plan to determine whether the plan will succeed, and the probability of the plan's success. Then they consider the positive and negative outcomes if the plan is carried out. They may also consider the positive and negative outcomes if they fail to carry out the plan. Fourth, if they determine that the positive outcomes outweigh the negative ones, by carrying out the plan, they will do it. Since Americans are not as afraid of making mistakes and are eager to test out new ideas, they will do it, unless there is a truly serious risk. Fifth, they get results. Sixth, they discuss the results. And seventh, they speculate about the results based on their experiences. This is the general decision-making process used by Americans. However, there are some who areinspired to act intuitively or impulsively.
Japanese, on the other hand tend towards a totally different decision-making Process. Because, as I said before, Japanese people are group-oriented. First, they must establish harmony within the group. If they haven't organized a group, then one particular individual will usually go to his or her friend or a senior or junior, or the President or a colleague -- anyone who might be considered close to the individual. These "close individuals" are the nucleus of the group. One by one, through personal connections, the group expands. This network of personal connections is the way in which most Japanese people get jobs. So they are obligated to follow the lineage of the connections. And each person's function is already defined based on his or her status, ability, motivation, etc. The group becomes something like a fully automated machine. One particular idea created by someone in the group will be revised or polished thoroughly by the group, not usually through a general meeting, but rather through a kind of individual tutoring or counseling approach, often conducted in modest manners. This process will eventually produce the potential plan. So one particular person's idea will not usually produce his or her own product. It's not like the American dream. One person cannot become rich the following day for having a great idea. In Japan, it's rarely "one person's idea". Besides, this process takes time. And if the plan must be agreed upon by the larger group which may include some people who were not in the original group, it will be discussed again by some of the key persons before the meeting of the larger group, and a basic decision will already have been made. Then, once the meeting begins, the decision will be announced. The meeting itself becomes merely the confirmation of what has already been agreed upon. This whole process is called Nemawashi. The term has become popular even in the United States. Some Americans use it as one of their strategies. In Japan this is the one and only way to do it. If a Japanese person fails to comply with this process, he will soon get stuck somewhere in an organization and will have a hard time moving up. He may even have to discontinue his membership.
VI. Value Systems
As I mention these things, it is possible for you to begin comparing the different value systems in Japan and in the United states. In the United States, since people are so anxious about results, they emphasize results or outcomes. Japanese people tend to emphasize processes, because it is groups which are important. Peoples' connections are the systems, and like big machines, they are developed to potentially produce nice products. Once created, why should they be destroyed? Even if one idea did not result in a good product, or even if they failed once, they won't destroy the machine, but will try to refine the group so that the next idea may be successful. In other words, they emphasize processes and long-term goals. Americans, by contrast, tend to emphasize more short-term goals, and they are apt to make quick decisions, good or bad, based on the results. As soon as Americans reach their goals or get their results, the group, if there is one, will break up. In other words, Americans will make different groups for different projects, if necessary, but basically what each individual does seems to be more important. So Americans tend to emphasize results and individuals and the Japanese tend to emphasize the process and groups. The third difference is that Americans place emphasis on "addition-thought" patterns, and the Japanese tend to emphasize "subtraction-thought" patterns. These do not refer to positive and negative ways of looking at life. Let me give you an example. One is the use of counting with fingers. Japanese people count from one to five by folding their fingers ("subtraction thought") whereas Americans count from one to five by sticking out their fingers ("addition thought"). It's also evident in the style of counting change. If a customer in Japan pays a one-thousand-yen bill to buy a one-hundred-seventy-five-yen item, the cashier will simply subtract one hundred and seventy five yen from one thousand and hand the customer the balance. In America, however, if a customer uses a ten-dollar bill to buy a one-dollar-and-seventy-five-cent item, the cashier will add a quarter or twenty five cents to the one-dollar-and-seventy-five-cent item, which makes two dollars, then count eight one-dollar billsas follows: three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, and ten. The Americans' way of counting change follows the addition-thought pattern.
Let's take the hypothetical situation of a can factory where two employees work for an employer. The employer told each employeee to make one hundred cans a day. Employee A worked hard and produced 136 cans; however, 18 of them turned out to be bad ones. Employee B, on the other hand, produced only 80 cans. In the United States, the employer would probably praise employee A, who reached the objective and even produced 18 more cans. And he would probably scold employee B, for not reaching the objective. However, if the same situation took place in Japan, the employer would scold employee A for having produced 18 bad cans, saying that it would equate to 90 bad cans in a week, 360 bad ones in a month, and 4500 bad ones in a year. He would then praise the employee B, for doing fine work and perhaps encourage him or her to speed up or work overtime a little bit. It may seem that the Japanese tend to emphasize negative aspects. But please do not call them negative. They just reflect a different value system.
This can-factory example reminds me of the threeJapanese principles of MU-Don'ts that my grandmother used to tell me. (1)Don't do MURI. (Muriwo Suruna.) It means "Don't try to do anything by force" or "Don't try to do too much" or "Don't try to impose anything on others." If something requires excessive energy, ability, or cost, don't do it. That way, you won't make a big mistake, and you can stay healthy. (2)Don't do MUDA. (Mudawo Suruna.) It means "Don't waste." For you can save a lot. And (3)Don't do MUSHI. (Mushiwo Suruna.) It means "Don't ignore." For you will have good personal connections or make good friends. I think my grandmother's three principles help explain the basis of traditional Japanese value systems.
Another example of "additon-thought" and "subtraction-thought" patterns is the difference in the educational systems of Japan and America. Suppose you look at a student's high school grades, and they are: B for Chemistry, F for Mathematics, B for Physics, C for Economics, B for English, C for Music, C for Biology, and A for P.E. You also learn that he is an excellent member of the high school baseball team. It used to be in Japan, abd still is in some of the higly standardized high schools, that the student's priority is to reach the standard level in every subject. In that case, this student should brush up on his Math by going to a special Math school or learning from a tutor, even if it might interfere with his favorite club activity. The student's ultimate goal is to get into a good college so that he or she can get a good job easily. The exam process ranks students, their rank in the educational hierarchy pretty much tells them at which college the student should take an entrance exam. In this system, Japanese students are encouraged to conform. Otherwise, they may be considered astray from the norm: -- a sneak or an escaper. This system seems to produce more or less homogeneous people, and remains the main-stream of Japanese education. However, there is a recent trend towards other systems to produce heterogeneous people: speciality schools, attendance at colleges or universities in foreign countries, the development of special skills to become a tennis player, for example, or a golfer, a baseball player, an athlete, a computer programmer, an artist, a musician, an idol singer, and so on.
In the United States, each state seems to have its own policy toward education and each seems to eager to display its uniqueness. Conformity is not the rule. Besides, the United states is already made up of different peoples from different parts of the world. This makes it unreasonable to pursue one unified educational policy toward every individual. Furthermore, in the U.S., the uniqueness of each private school is higly respected. Thus, the whole system seems to produce more and more heterogeneous people. Each individual's uniqueness, talents, skills, and abilities seem also to be emphasized. In other words, Americans try to look at the positive side of each individual rather than his or her negative side, so that he or she can eventually make a living as an expert. Although there might be a national trend to set standards for students' academic abilities, as a whole the United States seems to encourage various directions in the growth of her citizens.
VII. Heterogeneous vs. Homogeneous Societies
The next phenomena distingushing the Japanese and American societies are as follows:
In the United States, the population is becoming increasingly heterogeneous, makin America's society so diversified and muti-faceted that it is becoming very hard to set standards. Thus, it is difficult to control or govern the society unless the standards are constantly revised to accomodate the dynamic societal changes in the United States. For example, one standard to control pollution will soon be outdated by the invention of yet another chemical compund. This rat-race type of setting standards will eventually affect even America's moral standards, which some say are already outdated, some are unchanged, some say are revised, and some say have collapsed. Likewise, the question of a common way of thinking must be reconsidered as well. Therefore, the United States cannot help considering global issues to seek some kind of unified goals or standards. She may be destined to care for the whole world since she is such a great country -- the leader of modern society. Her destiny will continue unless, of course, she gives up being the initiator of current civilization, or unless she feels too much pressure to always be ahead of everything. Maybe the United States will choose instead to become a follower, which I believe would be a much easier role. Because now, so many countries have such high expectations of the United states -- expectations that cannot really transferred to other nation-states.
It is much easier for Japan to set standards, by carefully following some of the policies the United States has set and then taking into consideration the outcomes the United States has experienced. It is sort of like discussing the results of several experiments. Although it is sometimes siad that some of the aspects of Japan lag behind the current Americanism, Japan is really just seeking better ways to satisfy the needs of her homogeneous people and her society. The confinements of Japan's Geography, and the habit of quickly relegating the Japanese into a single mold because of her homogeneous nature, have restricted the ability of Japanese people to exercise freedom of choice and expansion as compared to Americans. There are not as many options in Japan -- maybe seven or eight times fewer than what Americans face, expecially in educational fields. Yet Japan must grow in various directions. She needs to offer a bigger menu. Thus, adapting a variety of imported ideas to Japanese people, especially western ideas, will help the Japanese feel pseudo-internationalized, with a hint of satisfaction and luxury in life. Designer fashions, brand-name accessories, gourmet foods, and so on are typical examples. yet Japan remains a largely homogeneous society. These imported ideas and products are simply a decorated part of their lives. Japanese young people often use the term, "Kakkoii", meaning neat or "cool" features. They like to impress others with these modern items that have a foreign image. As visitors from other countries often say, Japan looks modernized and westernized, but she is really Japanese, easily homogenized, distinctive, and different from other countries. VIII. Where Are Americanism and Japanism Going? Where is Americanism going? Where is Japanism going? Let's speculate. Since Japan has made such great strides in the field of economy, the United States has seriously begun to study Japanese culture. Perhaps some Americans thought they could incorporate some aspects of Japan's culture into American society, at least as part of their economic strategy. For example, in Texas, a higher high school academic standard was set, which may lay the groundwork for a more successful Texas society in future years. Now, a student cannot play football unless he is doing well in school, even though football is his favorite and he is a talented athlete. By raising the standards of each individual's overall academic performance, which is traditional in Japan, rather than nurturing experts in particular fields, the United States may become stronger. Although this strategy is in the experimental stage in Texas, it may be a necessary step. Setting up higher academic standards is one way that Americanism is changing. Also, the United States has realized the importance of studying the cultures of other countries for the sake of strengthening the U.S. economy and society as a whole. As Americans have studied various cultures, they have discovered many fascinating and mysterious things. They have come to realize that the American culture, although it has many international and multifaceted qualities, is neither the only culture nor the center of the world's civilization. Maybe they thought so once. But now many are realizing that America's position as global role model might only be for the moment, if they consider the long history of other world civilizations which have lasted more than a thousand years. However, the United States still seems to believe that through "Intercultural Understanding" the United States can continue to lead modern civilization. As far as taking initiatives and spending great amounts of money on new research fields, (Japan spends much less on NEW research fields), the United  will continue to lead other nation-states in economic, political, social, and other fields including science, music, sports, arts. Fot she believes that she can cope with any problem -- natural, human, or even unearthly -- by taking the proper strategy, as computed by the world's biggest and most able computers, full of all the data of the world and even of outer space. As long as Americans tend to play games, which result in winners and losers, they cannot help seeking more advanced and more sophisticated strategies; thus the United States relies on huge computers to win all the games she plays. Unless the United States stops thinking that life is made up of winners and losers, she will not change much and will have to accept both aspects of game playing: triumph and disappointment; joy and sorrow. But the disappointment and sorrow are unnecessary. We are all one people. We do not need to win games. We do not need to win wars. Because if there is a winner, then there is a loser. And if there is a loser, we all lose. We are all connected as people of the planet Earth. The future of the United States will depend upon whether Americans change this value system of trying to win games. Does every citizen of the United States really know who is watching them as a spectator? Do they know where "Americanism" is going? Or will the time come, as some kids mature and stop playing games that no longer interest them, that Americans will no longer be competetive, but rather artistic and sensitive. Will America give up her outdated games? Will she adopt the concept of "let your guests win all the games and you govern and host the house or the whole world"? Japan, on the other hand, after learning a lot from the United states, is seeking more heterogeneity in its society. It is attempting to offer some options for young people so that they can grow in a variety of fields. Now they can choose their favorite courses: natural science, technologies, humanities, arts, sports, and so forth. If you are an excellent baseball player in a Japanese high school, for example, you may be able to concentrate on baseball, participate in the natinal tournament at Kohshien stadium, be picked by a professional team scout, and eventually offered a contract amounting to more than 80 or 100 million yen. Likewise, a person's outstanding abilities, skills, or talents, will be more respected possibly leading him or her to become a professional expert, and evento be supported by some funds. Following the example of the United States, Japan now offers several flexible routes for outstanding students in various fields.
Heterogeneity is now an important factor in Japan's retail market, too. These days Japanese consumers are looking for unique items, not just regular, everyday things, but something with special features and devices. So each company is trying to recruit as many unique and creative people as possible. Because even one new idea can increase the profits of a company substaintially.
Somehow, the word "Internationalism" has become popular in Japan and has had a great impact on the Japanese people. There are several universities whose names start with the word, international. And almost all universities and colleges state similar challenges and goals: "How Should Our Students Grow in the Age of Internationalism?" If you travel to various cities in Japan, you will see or hear about the city festivals aiming at the "Internationalism of Our City." They probably mean that the cities will benefit economically through internationalism. Yet the definition of internationalism often remains unclear or misleading.
As the United States looks for ne strategies through "Intercultural Understanding," so Japan is looking for some kind of kickback through "Internationalism". As I mentioned before, the Japanese decision-making processes tend to be NEMAWASHI (based on a network of connections). And these so-called connections can lead to kickbacks. "We do so and so for you, so please do this for us." Summer and winter are the big gift seasons in Japan, when people send special gifts to those for whom they are especially thankful. Sometimes they may try to imply some expectations of kickbacks. Those gifts originally meant "Please forget the bad things and remember the good." However, since personal connections tend to affect decision-making, the custom of sending gifts seems to have an added significance among Japanese people. Now Japanese people are applying this custom internationally. They think that international connections will expand their economic growth. Any type of contributions and help from Japan may include the obligations that accompany this custom. Even if the Japanese people are sincerely and purely willing to help, they still anticipate some kickback in the long run, no matter how small. Perhaps its expectation is based on Buddhist's philosophy: Whatever one does will be reflected in the universe and will eventually come back to oneself.
As I look at where Americanism is going and where Japanism is going during our approach to the 21st century, I can't help observing two questionable goals: "US's Intercultural Understanding for strategies" and "Japan's Internationalism for kickbacks". Hopefully the United States will reconsider whether there's more to life than playing games, which inevitably produce both winners and losers. And maybe Japan will reconsider whether her customs will make sense internationally, and whether they are morally acceptable. The Recruit Company Scandal seems to indicate that in business, Japan still operates through network of personal connections. Both countries should reconsider the moral bases of their business goals lest ugly sides emerge. Maybe the United States can attain true "Intercultural Understanding" -- not to win games or devise strategies against other nation-states -- but simply to understand other cultures and to try to cooperate with other countries to raise the standard of life of all people on earth. And maybe Japan can eventually attain true "Internationalism" and become an "internationally-Minded People". Since the United States is such a big country, it is obvious that she would likely win over other countries if she seriously tried to win the games she played, seeking only her own national interest. Although Japan seems to have won the game of trade against the United States, if the United States seriously fought this game, putting her much bigger role in international fields aside, she would surely win over Japan and Japan would lose, as badly as if they were playing Americans in football. However, the United States cannot fulfill only her role as a nation. She has a much bigger role to fulfill in the world, considering the balance of economy, politics, and the rapidly changing societies of each country. She cannot consider only her national profits and affairs. Many other interdependent countries could easily be affected and even damaged by America's self-centered actions. In the future, hopefully the United States will place more consideration on other people in the world or all the people on the earth; not to fight against other countries, not to win over other countries, even economically, but to bring to all the earth's people a rich and satisfying way of life. And I personally hope that Japan, however she can, will help the United States so that the human beings on this planet will be able to live together happily and peacefully.
IX. Starvation-Prevention Insurance
Here I would like to propose that a type of "starvation-prevention insurance" should be added to the human rights movement. Since farmers are always afraid of losing profits by producing excessive crops, governments are often forced to protect the farmers. Otherwise, in the future we would surely run out of food, if the farmers became frustrated with their unprofitable livelihoods, and used their land in different ways. If the government in each country cannot afford to step in, the whole earth should work together to support the farmers by creating "starvation-prevention insurance". Ideally, more and more people would buy this insurance and raise funds. And every year, if some farmers were unable to sell all their crops, they could sell the remainder to this organization of starvation-prevention insurance. This organization would then transport the crops to regions where people are starving. We could save the farmers. We could also save the starving. In the same vein, clothing insurance and shelter insurance could also be sold so that nobody on the earth would freeze to death. Japan and the United States should take the initiative in these projects because they are rich in many aspects. And soon European and Asian countries could join. And African, south American, and Oceanic countries, too. Eventually these nations could issue an insurance card for each individual that tells how much he or she has contributed to this project. And if this insurance has become trustworthy and the results truly effective, we might be able to remove the system of visas to enter other countries. We could use these cards instead. In other words, this card would indicate that you are a citizen of the earth because you bought the insurance to ensure the right to live anywhere on the earth for that year without starving to death. Each cardholder, however, must be a true internationally-minded person. I will define the internationally-minded person later, but briefly, it means those who do not threaten or hurt other people, but just ordinary people who are eager to help their fellow man on earth. They can enter other countries without any visas.
The government in each country would cooperate on this proposal. Banks and other insurance companies would help collect the money for this "starvation-prevention insurance" just as they collect other insurance money. All they have to do is add one item which says "starvation-prevention insurance". They should encourage as many people as possible to buy this insurance so that we can protect the farmers and save more and more people. Also, as long as the farmers' crops are edible, not contaminated by chemicals, they can qualify for protection through this insurance. Clothing insurance could later be organized in the same way. I think, after all, that the United States is doing a fine job of raising the standard of every citizen in her country. But hopefully she will help even out the standard of all the people on the earth so that nobody on the earth will freeze to death and nobody will starve. I repeat that Japan and the United States should join hands for this tremendous global project. 
X. An Internationally-Minded Person
In the end, I would like to identify ten qualities that define an internationally-minded person.
1. You should feel as comfortable with differences as you do with similarities, when it comes to horizontal feelings, like friendship or partnership. But vertical feelings, such as superiority or inferiority, should not be embraced. Here I would like to look at xenophobia. Some people feel xenophobic. If they see a person who looks different (from a different country or race), they feel scared that that different person might hurt them. This is a big misunderstanding and like all phobias, it is based on an unreasonable fear. In an extreme case someone might hurt another simply because they thought the other person might hurt them. . . and all because of their imagination or phobia. This is the first thing you should avoid if you want to become an internationally-minded person. Remove xenophobia -- or any type of phobia -- as much as you can. You should feel as comfortable with different people as you do with similar people.
Let me give you an example. Suppose in a different country you enter an elevator and push the button for the 142nd floor - your destination. However, the elevator stops at the second floor, and a very strange man or woman enters. You can't tell which. The person could be a very beautiful young lady, a handsome young man, or a very dangerous man or woman. But you cannot tell, because the person is wearing a hood and a robe. You can't even see the person's face. Perhaps you can barely see the chin of the person, but you still cannot tell the person's sex. The hood and robe are not just black and white, but colorfully decorated. That person pushes the button for the 143rd floor and it will take about four minutes to get there. How would you behave? If you want to feel comfortable during the four minutes, instead of feeling scared or xenophobic, why not try to create a comfortable atmosphere by communicating with the person positively and peacefully? Just tbinking of yourself is not good enough if you want to live comfortably and peacefully with other people.
2.You should not measure other things or others only by your own standards. If you go to other countries and want to buy clothes or shoes, their measurements may be different. So are value systems. In one country a so-called "popular" face looks "just "just so", but in another country the popular face may be very different. The definition of beauty varies from one country to another. Value systems are different, too, so don't just judge other things or other people only with your owm measurements.
3. You should be able to accept things as they are and to describe them not only subjectively but also objectively. If you could analyze what a thing is and how and why it is formed, the world would benefit by you. Even more, if you could predict the future from this accurate analysis, you would trully be valuable. In other words, you should be able to accept reality, and to cope with it.
4. Never impose any idea, ideology, custom, behavior, or value system upon others, or threaten to do so in any form. Rather, try to understand others.
5. Don't judge others when you know little about them. Don't jusge solely on appearances, either. Prejudice is not a trait of the internationally-minded person. It is natural to form some kind of image of another person. But do your best to eliminate prejudice.
6. You should constantly strive to broaden and deepen your knowledge towards whatever you encounter. During your life, you are apt to encounter different things. If you go to other countries, you will likely face many things which are completely different. Study about them. Try to broaden and deepen your knowledge so that you can develop a better understanding and gain wisdom about dealing with something new.
7. Be sensitive, alert, and considerate towards those you encounter, so they don't feel left out, lonely, or ostracized. But never try to interfere with their personal matters -- especially in their decision-making and privacy -- unless you are invited to do so. You should practice both concepts: "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you" and conversely "Don't treat others in a way you wouldn't like to be treated yourself". The first concept is based on a basic western motto, whereas the second takes a more eastern approach. However, sometimes even if you treat others the way you would like to be treated, it may still turn out to be bad for them, if their measurements or value systems are different. So you have to consider beforhand what the value systems are. Then you can reconsider your action or behavior and act properly. The same thinking can be applied to the concept of "Don't treat others in a way you wouldn't like to be treated yourself". Sometimes you may think "I wouldn't want someone to do this to me, so I shouldn't do this to others". However, it may turn out that you should have done it to the particular person after all, because in his or her culture it is very important to behave so. So first you must study basic value systems. Then you can take proper action.
8. Be creative and constructive, and constantly try to think of ways to meet the needs of others.
9. Never try to hurt anyone. Indeed, do your best to persuade all human beings not to hurn each other. But if you or someone else hurts someone by mistake, try to understand the reason - why, so that it doesn't happen again.
10. Remember that in the world there is not just a single point of view. There is yours, yes. But there are also more than what you can anticipate, and more than you can imagine. Don't think that the world evolves around you. Self-centered ideas are not appreciated by others, so be considerate also for those who are quiet, hesitant, and reserved. Stand in other people's shoes. Develop your thoughts. Develop your empathy. Then, you will be a true internationally-minded person. And the world will be a better place because of it.

Copy right 1988 [ARISE] Further into Karita's, Poetry