Here is more information from the internet about the relative lack of originality on Japan. The article is from 2005.
http://www.ace.lu.se/images/Syd_och_sydostasienstudier/working_papers/storz2.pdf 3.3 Knowledge and the national innovation system Knowledge is the most important source of welfare, since it is the only factor of the economic production factors which can be increased. Therefore, the nation’s positioning of its innovation system is of central importance for its further economic development. On the surface, the results of the Japanese innovation system are good: despite the long phase of economic weakness in the 90’s R&D activity is high (a development contrary e.g. to Germany), the R&D input in relation to the GNP is with 3.25% higher than in the US or the EU (with 2.67% and 1.88%respectively), and its technology trade balance is positive too (below the US, but higher than Germany) (compare for details Kevenhörster, Pascha und Shire 2003). Nevertheless, deep-routed problems exist: the Japanese innovation system is characterized by incremental process innovation, by diffusion and dissemination and by a long-termed learning along vertical cooperation. In other words: the inward orientation is as in the labour market relatively strong; even intra-firm cooperation is no real external co- operation since suppliers are often in fact part of an enterprise group. Compared to this, external co-operation e.g. with universities as suppliers of original knowledge is underdeveloped, as well as the transfer of knowledge out of universities into enterprises. All characteristics that seem to be the reason for the success of Japanese companies in the 90’s seem to hinder today the development of radical innovation. Therefore, Japan’s world wide share of R&D intensive goods is low: Its share in world trade of knowledge-intensive goods (goods with a share of research & development of more than 3.5% of the turnover) is about 14%, in contrast to the US with about 21%. This is especially impressive since in 1992, the share of the US and Japan was with 18-19% still about the same (BMBF 2000)7. The software industry with its low share in the world market is one of the knowledge-intensive industries in which Japan’s competitiveness is weak. This might be dangerous since the ICT industry, in which is the software industry is part of, is assessed by the OECD (2001) as a “driver of growth”, and by other authors as a new general purpose technology. It seems to be risky not to be present in this industry. ICT needs standardized interfaces, open coordination and a flexible combination of modules. The dominant design of Japanese industrial organisation is almost the opposite of these needs since Japanese enterprise groups (keiretsu) are characterized by group- specific, integral-closed structures – an observation which led Anchordoguy (2000) to the question whether the poor success of Japan’s software industry is a failure of institutions. If one follows the thesis that important new industries such as biotechnology require similar open structures, then the competitiveness of Japan can indeed be questioned (compare too: Lynn/Kishida, forthcoming; Baldwin, 2001; Kokuryô, 1997). Another indicator which is often used to assess the dynamics of an economy is the entrepreneurial climate in a society. According to the ranking of the Institute for Management Development, in this respect Japan is ranked lowest (No. 49). Indeed, the number of companies has been shrinking in Japan for several years (figure 5). Even if an equalisation of the start-up rate and innovation is problematic since it excludes the fact that start-ups are not necessarily innovative , but often franchised companies in retailing or services without innovative potential, the low level of start-ups can be interpreted as a signal of a deficit in pushing through radical innovations; moreover, it reduces chances in the creation of employment. On Jan 4, 10:14 am, Isparklaria <[email protected]> wrote: > Orn and all, > > Having not lived in Japan, I can only form my opinion of the second > hand. One of my sources was a Japanese acquaintance of mine. He came > to the USA with his wife and children so that his children could get > what he considered a real education. His children were attending a > private school that had the goal of eventually teaching them to think > for them selves. He told me about the Japanese educational system. It > was based almost entirely on rote learning. Unfortunately much of > American education is now almost all rote learning. I happen to work > as a substitute teacher, so, at least within the schools I work in, > this is the case. Hideki and his wife, Yuko, also told me about > Japanese after school cram schools. As if six hours of rote learning > weren't enough, many children went for another four to six hours of > after school "cram school". This leaves little or no time for creative > activity such as authentic play (exploration). > > Below is another link to an article from 2004 that backs up my > statement. I have not taken the time to read more than the abstract, > which I have pasted in after the link. I have read other articles > about Japan's lack of creativity and also the lack of creativity in > some other far eastern nations. One example of this lack of creativity > is that although their universities produce first-rate technicians > with PhD degrees, they produce few scientific innovators. How are they > dealing with this problem? For the most part, they are doing what they > always do, which is copy someone else's system that already get the > results, In this case it is mostly America's system. In my opinion > they are still afraid to improvise, to step into the unknown or even > attempt a seriously different permutation of their own current > approach. Although studying and copying the creativity developing ways > of others is not a total waste, to really be creative one must be > willing to fall flat on ones face, rather than proceed with caution. > This is true for developing creativity enhancing educational methods > also. Without his leap into the unknown, they will only be a modified > copy of America, and that is not being creative. > > http://www.wilsoncenter.org/topics/pubs/asiarpt121.pdf > JUNE 2004 > > ABSTRACT: The Japanese government is in the midst of economic and > educational reforms to > enhance creativity and boost national competitiveness. In this report, > three experts explore and > evaluate these unprecedented measures.According to Gerald Hane, Japan > has already made some > progress in removing obstacles to entrepreneurship, allowing > innovators to benefit from their > ideas, and improving worker mobility—although ample room for > improvement remains. Akiko > Hashimoto argues that deeply embedded social hierarchies stifle the > creativity of Japan’s young > people.Youths should be brought into the reform process because > creativity cannot be stimulated > through top-down regulation, she contends. Misao Hayakawa warns that > Japan may go too > far in emphasizing choice and individualism at the expense of > standards. He maintains that higher > education has been more successful than lower education in > implementing reforms that are > meaningful and measurable. > > http://www.wilsoncenter.org/topics/pubs/asiarpt121.pdf > > On Jan 3, 10:26 pm, ornamentalmind <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Ish, I was sure that you had some backing for your beliefs…you often > > do. And, in general, I have found your posting to be rather even > > handed and somewhat insightful. > > > This said, in this one instance, I find what I understand to be your > > view to be to be far from the case. > > > Without belaboring the issue, I referenced your words “they..lack > > creativity” as being ‘in some ways’ not close to reality. I also just > > referenced your words about the Japanese “…originallity is almost non > > existant…”. I will add directly here that such an assertion appears > > absurd to me. > > > You replied to my using the term ‘Eastern cultures’ with “By the way, > > I did not say that all eastern cultures produce few creative > > individuals.” I agree. That is not what you said nor what I implied > > you said nor is it what you appear to be refuting now. > > > I retain my original view and clearly say that what you have > > referenced in your last two posts does nothing at all to disparage > > this view. I invite all to read them and form their own conclusions. > > > On Jan 2, 8:51 pm, Isparklaria <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Here is another highly revealing article about Japanese Culture. It is > > > over 16 years old but that doesn't matter, in my opinion. > > > >http://www.newint.org/issue231/nail.htm > > > > new internationalist > > > issue 231 - May 1992 > > > > The nail that sticks out > > > Conformists belong, non-conformists and ethnic minorities get hammered > > > in Japan. > > > John Charles and Peter Mallat unravel Japanese groupthink. > > > > 'SHIGOTO ARIMASUKA?' pesters the tall, dark-skinned man at the railway > > > exit. He bows incongruously, imitating the mannerisms of the culture > > > he envies. 'Sir, Sir... do you have a job for me?' > > > > He is an Iranian day-labourer, doing the hard, dirty jobs now scorned > > > by almost all Japanese. After getting one day's work he prowls > > > endlessly in search of the next, before bedding down for the night in > > > a local park. Sleeping rough is his only option since the local > > > flophouse was closed by the authorities. For the most part they cause > > > him little trouble. The indifference of the public is, he says, almost > > > worse. > > > > He has - or had - a wife in Iran. Is she still there?.., he doesn't > > > know. His working conditions?.., a finger-stump is mute testimony. > > > Accident insurance?.., the gentleman surely jests. 'We Iranians > > > are...' he begins in English, but words soon escape so he switches to > > > Japanese. 'We are proud... but war has ruined us.' He shrugs, smiles > > > ruefully, and is consumed by the surging crowd. > > > > The old man crouches on the granite steps, mumbling to himself and re- > > > fighting long forgotten battles. The salarymen weave wary circles > > > round his stinking nest. Nobody has spoken to him here - he says - for > > > 20 years. In his sad delusion he imagines that his wealthy wife drives > > > him out of the house each day 'to avoid gossip' and picks him up at > > > night. In this most group-oriented of societies even the dropouts > > > cling to rags of respectability. Wa means 'harmony' or 'proper place': > > > the executive in the office and the Little Woman minding the hearth. > > > The consequences of social deviance are so alarming that office > > > workers between jobs are sometimes forced into masquerades of leaving > > > home in the morning to return at the end of the working day. You see > > > them snoring in theatres and glumly clock-watching in coffee shops. > > > > Japan is unthinkable without groups. Perhaps they developed from the > > > co-operative labour needed in the scattered villages of a rice-growing > > > culture. To this day the threat of Mura Hachibu ('rejection from the > > > village' or ostracism) by family, university alumnus league, company > > > or even golf club would be enough to bring the most determined social > > > deviant to heel. It can sometimes seem as if the only escape from the > > > demands of the group lies in madness. > > > > The boy shakes his fist and menaces the train guard through the glass. > > > He suddenly begins to weep. Everybody on the train is desperately > > > playing the game of 'pay no attention'. One passenger - fluent in > > > English from residence abroad - feels it necessary to apologize to the > > > foreigner for such a wanton ruffling of the 'perfect face' of his > > > country. 'I am sorry,' he says. 'He is... strange. His behaviour is... > > > not Japanese.' Not Japanese. The words evoke the whole mentality of > > > group cohesion and rejection and endlessly-interlocking social nets. > > > > Who are the Japanese? > > > Anthropologically it is not at all clear: a conglomerate of > > > Polynesian, Malay and mainland Asian elements, perhaps from Mongolia, > > > who imposed themselves on the aboriginal Ainu and gradually drove them > > > northwards. The precedence of the Ainu in the islands, like the thorny > > > subject of Japanese army atrocities against the Chinese in the 1930s, > > > is another point glossed over by the schoolbooks. > > > > Culturally it is a different story. Japan has a notion of its own > > > uniqueness that many Japanese are convinced an outsider could never > > > fathom. The Japanese language ovefflows with words of status, words of > > > self-abasement, words of guile and subterfuge - and many words that > > > defy accurate translation. Words like Ciri and On translate as 'duty' > > > or 'obligation', but the depth of their meaning is quite different. > > > Within the tightly-ordered framework of Japanese groups - village, > > > family, school, workplace - they weigh heavily indeed. Outside these > > > groups they lose almost all meaning. Thus in Japan there is little > > > goodwill for someone you don't know and little sense of a broader > > > public interest. Peter Tasker, in his book Inside Japan, calls the > > > Japanese the 'kindest, cruelest' people in the world. The face > > > presented depends entirely on whether you are seen to be part of a > > > group or outside it. > > > > On April 28 1952 Japan was restored to its sovereignty after the post- > > > war American occupation. The nation had miraculously 'endured the > > > unendurable', as the Emperor had enjoined it to do, and had proved a > > > surprisingly warm host to thousands of US troops. This paradox is > > > usually explained in terms of the group system: events had shown that > > > Japan's imperialist ambitions were illusory, and the White Man was top > > > dog. Thus all ranks and groupings moved down one notch giving > > > Americans top status.- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text -... > > read more » --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Memphis Freethought Alliance" group. 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