Many Japans
Japan Reaches Out -- Time Magazine.
Interesting article. And well worth a read if you are at all interested in Japan and the misperceptions about the place. It reminds me that there are many Japans here.
Japan gets a wrap that it's a monoculture and relatively closed. And you can find many examples to demonstrate those perceptions, too. However, the opposite is also true. Japan does an enormous amount of international contributing in many fields, yet the Japanese get relatively little credit for those activities. So, it's good to see this article pointing to some obvious examples where Japan reaches out or leads. I've seen several articles along these lines lately. Perhaps it's because the Japanese are helping out so many idiots who have broken the global financial system in recent months, and that is a very, very high profile issue. Who knows. Regardless of the reason, Japan is getting some coverage lately, and it's not all bad.
The article also points out that one reason for the lack of publicity about Japanese contributions to the international community is that the Japanese simply refuse to brag about themselves. This is one thing that drives me nuts about working here. I don't view communications as bragging -- heck I do a fairly gigantic amount of it -- but I've been slapped around more than once for my views on this matter. And, for what it's worth, I remain unconvinced about the Japanese view on the issue. However, even though it's difficult to find references of Japanese contributions, they are most certainly there. And in abundance, too. The trick is you have to dig. And then when you dig, you have to dig some more. And more. And it's not uncommon to be met with utter silence when you discover a jackpot of contributions and ask for a little reaction. Ok, lessons learned. We'll have to agree to disagree on this. But here's the problem: not everyone digs. Or, not everyone has the patience to dig enough. So, misperceptions can easily develop, and they are rarely acknowledged or corrected. In fact, it's common for visiting westerners to say something like this, "You know, I never hear about Japanese contributing to [insert community or field or whatever]." I've said it many times myself. In fact, on more than one occasion I've said it to the agreement of all westerners in sight only to find out that the exact opposite is true. But I had to dig. Very frustrating. Especially since the Japanese rarely care about the credit. Perhaps it's more of an egalitarian view, but at the very least it's a different view. And that's the point. That's why more communication is needed to resolve issues like this. So, there are many Japans. You have to dig deep or you'll miss most of them.
Anyway. Check out the article. It's a positive look at some people breaking out and doing something different, and they are getting some well-deserved credit for their efforts.
Interesting article. And well worth a read if you are at all interested in Japan and the misperceptions about the place. It reminds me that there are many Japans here.
Japan gets a wrap that it's a monoculture and relatively closed. And you can find many examples to demonstrate those perceptions, too. However, the opposite is also true. Japan does an enormous amount of international contributing in many fields, yet the Japanese get relatively little credit for those activities. So, it's good to see this article pointing to some obvious examples where Japan reaches out or leads. I've seen several articles along these lines lately. Perhaps it's because the Japanese are helping out so many idiots who have broken the global financial system in recent months, and that is a very, very high profile issue. Who knows. Regardless of the reason, Japan is getting some coverage lately, and it's not all bad.
The article also points out that one reason for the lack of publicity about Japanese contributions to the international community is that the Japanese simply refuse to brag about themselves. This is one thing that drives me nuts about working here. I don't view communications as bragging -- heck I do a fairly gigantic amount of it -- but I've been slapped around more than once for my views on this matter. And, for what it's worth, I remain unconvinced about the Japanese view on the issue. However, even though it's difficult to find references of Japanese contributions, they are most certainly there. And in abundance, too. The trick is you have to dig. And then when you dig, you have to dig some more. And more. And it's not uncommon to be met with utter silence when you discover a jackpot of contributions and ask for a little reaction. Ok, lessons learned. We'll have to agree to disagree on this. But here's the problem: not everyone digs. Or, not everyone has the patience to dig enough. So, misperceptions can easily develop, and they are rarely acknowledged or corrected. In fact, it's common for visiting westerners to say something like this, "You know, I never hear about Japanese contributing to [insert community or field or whatever]." I've said it many times myself. In fact, on more than one occasion I've said it to the agreement of all westerners in sight only to find out that the exact opposite is true. But I had to dig. Very frustrating. Especially since the Japanese rarely care about the credit. Perhaps it's more of an egalitarian view, but at the very least it's a different view. And that's the point. That's why more communication is needed to resolve issues like this. So, there are many Japans. You have to dig deep or you'll miss most of them.
Anyway. Check out the article. It's a positive look at some people breaking out and doing something different, and they are getting some well-deserved credit for their efforts.
In a sense (a very narrow sense, of course), Japan's ill can be summarized in two words: Microsoft and Intel.
Japan has contributed a much bigger lot than it was given credit for in the PC/internet revolution--through itself and its investments (in both technical know-hows and actual capitals) in Taiwanese OEM manufacturers.
Most of the world was never aware of the latter (Japan's contribution through Taiwanese OEMs), and even for the former (Japan's own contribution), it was very obscured, because Microsoft and Intel took most if not all the credits.
Because of ownership ambiguity and licensing limitations--among some other things, I don't think Linux will ever become anything more than a niche player in Japan (or in China), except the embedded Linux, which has developed into a separate identity of its own and should be distinguished from the "Linux" that we have grown to know.
Then there is this interesting development of OpenSolaris and OpenSPARC, both of which may suit Japanese interests very well. I have been telling my friends that Japan, unlike its anonymous partnership with Microsoft and Intel, can become a bigger partner in either or both fields than Sun itself. Not that we should take the phrase "Rising Sun" (puns intended) literally, but there may be some renewed and reinvigorated significance to it. :-)
Oops, I should have also mentioned OpenOffice.org. Many of my friends keep a copy of Sun's StarOffice handy, because the Japanese version of Microsoft Office has a propensity of corrupting files. When this happens, they will simply fire up StarOffice to open (and repair) the corrupted .doc or .xls file.
So, why not just use "the real thing", and contribute to its development? :-)
Posted by W. Wayne Liauh on November 24, 2008 at 05:10 AM JST #
Posted by deserved on November 24, 2008 at 11:32 PM JST #
To brag about ourselves is not our habit. Modesty and humbleness is high virtue in oriental culture. Japanese are shy.
Please try this. You go to any park or station with your American friend carrying a map in your hand. You speak loudly in English and pretend that you are searching something and going to inquire from people around you. You will observe that Japanese start running away from. They are afraid of being asked in English and put in shame (because they cannot speak English well). It does not mean at all they do not like American.
Yes, if you like to know the real opinion of Japanese, you need to be close friend.
I recommend you to learn speaking Japanese (Speaking is not so difficult, really!), or you need some middle man (Japanese) who can interpret you to other Japanese.
I feel sorry that you do not have close Japanese companion even at Yoga, and you feel at home and happier in China more than in Japan.
Japanese also are nice people, aren’t we?
Posted by Ken Okubo on November 25, 2008 at 04:15 PM JST #
Hi, Ken. Yes, I feel more comfortable in China, no question about it. However, the reason I blogged about this article is that there are many ways the Japanese are contributing internationally -- and more than people realize -- and that's what I want to find out more of and engage more on.
Posted by James Grisanzio on November 25, 2008 at 06:03 PM JST #
Wayne ... yes, MS is all over this place. :) It was surprising to see that when i got here. And it will take some time to root them out, too. But the Japanese are taking to OpenSolaris more and more, so perhaps we'll have a shot at it. They contribute to Linux, so I expect they will contribute to OpenSolaris over time, too.
Posted by James Grisanzio on November 25, 2008 at 06:07 PM JST #