Wow. This is exactly what has happened here in Japan (IMHO). After the war, the Japanese were moved into serving the country by entering large companies and working, day-in and day-out, showing a fealty (even to the point of death) for the nation’s success. I think this is one reason that there is such a dearth of creativity. If you are working 24/7 and do not stop, you won’t have time to recharge your batteries, to smell the roses, and to dream. Without that space to think, you won’t see new opportunities.
That loyalty to the company has changed somewhat since the economic bubble burst in the 1990s, and more young people are not willing to follow the same path as their grand/parents. They don’t want to work long hours of unpaid overtime! Maybe they will “switch to something that is more likely to help [them] achieve [their] goals.”
Hi Louise! So neat to hear your take on this, especially since you are THERE. :) Do you think that loyalty-to-the-company slash loyalty-to-rebuilding came as a result of the losses (human and militarily) of the war? Or was that dedication always a part of the Japanese culture (albeit, decades ago now). Was it a patriotism thing? And, not to say the patriotism is lessened now, but only that patriotism-as-working-full-tilt is not sustainable, and a well-deserved reassessment is maybe only possible from the later, perhaps more settled, generations?
If you go back to the Tokugawa period (1600-1868), there was a "bushido code" which meant that the lower-ranking people were loyal and self-sacrificing to the samurai elite. After that, during the Meiji period (1868-1912), the government had to create a modern nation in order to make Japan strong against Western colonial powers, making everyone work together to build a strong Japan. Then there was WWII, and when it ended, the nation once again needed to be rebuilt. So, this idea of loyalty and self-sacrifice has been around in the Japanese psyche for quite a while.
You mentioned "patriotism", but I don't think many Japanese are patriotic in the same way Americans, for example, use the word. Most people don't understand what the national anthem means and don't fly the flag on national holidays. There are many, many rules people follow culturally, but I don't think that comes from any sort of patriotic feeling. It's identity as a Japanese person, I guess.
Wow. This is exactly what has happened here in Japan (IMHO). After the war, the Japanese were moved into serving the country by entering large companies and working, day-in and day-out, showing a fealty (even to the point of death) for the nation’s success. I think this is one reason that there is such a dearth of creativity. If you are working 24/7 and do not stop, you won’t have time to recharge your batteries, to smell the roses, and to dream. Without that space to think, you won’t see new opportunities.
That loyalty to the company has changed somewhat since the economic bubble burst in the 1990s, and more young people are not willing to follow the same path as their grand/parents. They don’t want to work long hours of unpaid overtime! Maybe they will “switch to something that is more likely to help [them] achieve [their] goals.”
I hope they will quit at quitting time!
Hi Louise! So neat to hear your take on this, especially since you are THERE. :) Do you think that loyalty-to-the-company slash loyalty-to-rebuilding came as a result of the losses (human and militarily) of the war? Or was that dedication always a part of the Japanese culture (albeit, decades ago now). Was it a patriotism thing? And, not to say the patriotism is lessened now, but only that patriotism-as-working-full-tilt is not sustainable, and a well-deserved reassessment is maybe only possible from the later, perhaps more settled, generations?
If you go back to the Tokugawa period (1600-1868), there was a "bushido code" which meant that the lower-ranking people were loyal and self-sacrificing to the samurai elite. After that, during the Meiji period (1868-1912), the government had to create a modern nation in order to make Japan strong against Western colonial powers, making everyone work together to build a strong Japan. Then there was WWII, and when it ended, the nation once again needed to be rebuilt. So, this idea of loyalty and self-sacrifice has been around in the Japanese psyche for quite a while.
You mentioned "patriotism", but I don't think many Japanese are patriotic in the same way Americans, for example, use the word. Most people don't understand what the national anthem means and don't fly the flag on national holidays. There are many, many rules people follow culturally, but I don't think that comes from any sort of patriotic feeling. It's identity as a Japanese person, I guess.