LEARNING FROM THE ENEMY

The example of Japan tells us that in this world, great success belongs to those who seek to learn from everyone, whether friend or foe.

In 1949, Japan held an industrial seminar and extended a special invitation to Dr. Edward Deming from the United States. In his lecture, Dr. Deming presented a new theory for achieving high-quality industrial production: the concept of quality control (The Hindustan Times, December 28, 1986).

For Japan, Americans were seen as an enemy nation. In World War II, the United States inflicted a severe defeat and humiliation upon Japan. Given this background, one would expect a lingering bitterness toward America. However, the Japanese rose above such negative feelings. As a result, they were able to invite an American professor to their seminar, calmly consider his advice, and wholeheartedly embrace it.

The Japanese grasped Dr. Deming’s insights fully, aligning their entire industrial system with the principles of quality control. They set a target of “zero defects” for their manufacturers—producing goods without any flaws. The Japanese dedication and seriousness ensured they met this goal. Soon, Japanese factories were producing defect-free products. A British retailer once remarked that if he ordered a million items from Japan, he could be sure that not a single one would have a defect. This reliability earned Japan’s products a reputation for quality worldwide, and Japanese trade flourished. Japan eventually dominated even the U.S. market, the same country from which they had learned the quality control approach.

The example of Japan tells us that in this world, great success belongs to those who seek to learn from everyone, whether friend or foe.