THE TEMPERAMENT OF JAPAN
The Japanese are deeply committed to quality. They strive to excel in their endeavours, often prioritizing perfection above all else, even at the expense of personal and family life.
I met a gentleman from Singapore who was a business manager. I asked him why he came to Japan. He replied that he came solely to learn. I asked again what it was about Japan that had impressed him so much that he travelled here to learn. He said he had heard and read a lot about Japan’s industrial development, but there was one incident he read that deeply moved him and made him decide that he must go to Japan to gain something from there. I inquired what that incident was. He opened his briefcase and took out an English magazine. It was the following incident:
“A story is told about an expert from Sweden who went to Japan to study worker participation in management. While at a factory, he was very impressed when he saw a Japanese worker start to cry spontaneously in response to one of his questions. When he did not receive an answer from the worker, he inquired about it from the supervisor. After hearing the entire story, the supervisor explained that the real issue was that when the expert informed the worker that their company was not meeting export demands as it used to, the worker became very distressed. The supervisor stated that Japanese workers are deeply concerned that if exports decline, it would harm the entire nation. In their view, it would be seen as a reduction in Japan’s productivity standards.”
After reading this incident, I reflected on how sensitive a Japanese person is about their nation, unable to bear the thought that any of their shortcomings might bring shame to it.
I recall a time from my childhood, before World War II, when the phrase “Made in Japan” signified something of poor quality and weakness. At that time, toys and other items typically came from Japan and were sold at low prices. I wanted to understand how Japan transitioned from its earlier state to the modern era when, contrary to the past, “Made in Japan” has become a label of quality products.
After speaking with some Japanese people, I learned about a concept called ‘education years.’ It became evident that after World War II, Japan underwent a sustained movement for awareness and reconstruction, evolving into a national movement. This movement aimed to change the national outlook.
The phase known as the ‘education years’ lasted approximately 15 years during the fifties and sixties. After fostering a constructive consciousness within the nation, there was another phase of around 15 years focused on the pursuit of quality, which spanned the sixties and seventies. Thus, the thirty years of intellectual effort resulted in the practical development that Japan has achieved today.
Japan invested 30 years in the arena of constructive awareness. As mentioned earlier, until World War II, Japanese products were considered substandard. However, today, the situation is reversed. Now, “Made in Japan” signifies the best and most reliable goods. Consequently, everyone is asking the question: “How do they do it and do it so well?”
People from various countries come to Japan specifically for this purpose: to uncover the secret behind its success. I met one such individual who had come from a European country at Tokyo Airport. When our conversation began, I told him that I was also grappling with the same question that he had come to Japan to answer, so I asked him to share his findings with me.
He replied that he believed the secret lies in the fact that Japanese people are highly quality-conscious. Every Japanese person possesses a strong desire to do whatever they do to the best of their ability. This desire is so intense that they are willing to forfeit everything else, even family life, in pursuit of perfection: “Every Japanese possesses a very strong desire to do well, whatever bit he does. This desire is so intense that he forfeits even family life in pursuit of perfecting it.”
This temperament among the people of Japan is their greatest asset. Unfortunately, such a temperament is lacking in countries like India. This is our most significant shortcoming, which has held us back on the global stage.
I happened to visit a Japanese office where I saw a picture carefully displayed on the wall. It was of Edwards Deming. I remarked that he is an American, part of a rival nation; why, then, do you have his picture displayed here? The office manager smiled and replied, “He is our super-guru.”
Edwards Deming was a statistician who presented theories on quality control for industrial development, and the Japanese quickly adopted his principles as the foundation of their growth. They educated their nation to such an extent that the concept of quality became a way of life for the entire population. They even achieved a level of industrial production known as zero defects.
The Americans had severely injured the Japanese, but they did not respond by labelling the Americans as enemies and unleashing a storm of words against them. Instead, they sought to learn from the Americans. They managed to extract beneficial lessons even from their adversaries. This is the secret to living successfully in this world, and it is such people who succeed.
