The individuality and uniqueness of the Japanese people are treasures. Some say that Japanese culture is rooted in a "secret sauce."
July 07, 2019
The following is from the book review section of today's Sankei Shimbun.
As a subscriber to Asahi until August 2014, I carefully read the book review column...but I mostly skimmed over the Tenseijingo and others...I ended up reading the book reviews of those who were worthless and had been causing astronomical damage to Japan.
I stopped subscribing to Asahi and switched to Sankei, Nikkei, and Yomiuri out of regret and anger at being forced to read book reviews by people who had been causing not only trivial but also astronomical damage to Japan.
I occasionally read a book review in Sankei.
Today was that day, and there were two good reviews that I would like to share with you.
First,
Harvard's Theory of the Japanese (Chuko Shinsho Rakule, 880 yen plus tax)
For True Globalization by Chie Sato
A love of robots, attention to detail, longevity, obligation and loyalty, a spirit of craftsmanship and cleaning, the ability to tell stories...
These "characteristics of the Japanese" have caught the world's attention.
The author, a writer and consultant, interviewed ten professors at Harvard University in the U.S. about the roots of these characteristics.
The author drew on intelligence from various fields, including media theory, art history, genetics, and molecular and cellular biology, to uncover the Japanese charms of "seeing the light."
For example, Professor Yukio Lippitt, who studies the genius painter of the Edo period, Ito Jakuchu, who is the embodiment of the Japanese attention to detail in "Why Japanese people are so particular about details," explained that "Jakuchu (from his Buddhist worldview) believed that 'Buddha nature' resides in every part of a painting," and that he therefore devoted equal artistic attention to every detail.
David C. Atherton, assistant professor of the popular "Samurai Life Theory" course, explains that Japanese people are so concerned about public appearance because of the samurai culture of the Edo period (1603-1868) and the bureaucratic system of lifetime employment, which involves hiring and firing people.
Incidentally, according to the assistant professor, samurai and Harvard students have something in common: "They are the elite of society, but they are also profoundly distressed."
In addition, she also investigates topics such as "Why do they draw ambiguous endings to stories" (literature), "Do they really like heredity" (politics), and "Why do they respect manufacturing and cleaning" (religion).
Through the interviews, she says, "I thought that the individuality and uniqueness of the Japanese people is a treasure. Some people say that there is a "secret sauce" at the root of Japanese culture."
She then emphasized, "Knowing the strengths of the Japanese people and making the most of them to demonstrate their value in the international community is true globalization. Japanese people are eager to learn and have knowledge, but it is important to know how to make the most of it and act on it."
"If we can understand the Japanese, we can confidently deal with foreigners. I would be happy if this book provided a hint."
With the Tokyo Olympics coming up, this is a book that every Japanese person should read.
Mihoya Hiroki
Sato Chie
She was born in Hyogo Prefecture in 1970. She graduated from the University of Tokyo with a B.A. in Liberal Arts and an MBA from Columbia University's Graduate School of Business. She worked for NHK and Boston Consulting Group before going independent. She is the author of many books, including Harvard Japanese History Classroom and The History of Japan.
2024/8/18 in Mihara Hiroshima
