THE HIGHEST STANDARD

The Japanese people pursue excellence in every task they undertake, demonstrating that success is achievable despite challenges or limited natural resources.

As I was passing through a street in New York at night, I noticed a brightly lit advertisement for the Japanese car, Toyota. The advertisement was extremely well-crafted and beautifully presented. We also saw ads for American vehicles (Buick, Ford, etc.) on New York’s streets, but they seemed quite lacklustre compared to the Japanese ads. The American ads were merely average, while the Japanese ad was a fine example of art.

Similarly, at the United Nations, we noticed that many female guides were appointed to assist the visitors. The guide assigned to our group was a Japanese girl. She was so energetic and introduced everything in such flawless English that it was hard to tell if she was human or a machine. This is a common characteristic of the Japanese people—they strive to perform any task they undertake to the highest standard. When people possess this quality, nothing in the world can stop them from achieving success, regardless of how few natural resources they may have.