Japan Incorporated

I have locked the gate on a thousand peaks
To live here with clouds and birds.
All day I watch the hills
As clear winds fill the bamboo door.
A supper of pine flowers,
Monk’s robes of chestnut dye—
What dream does the world hold
To lure me from these dark slopes?
--Buddhist monk Zekkai (1336-1405)

Zekkai represents Japan’s isolation and inward focus throughout its past, until 1868. A closed country with a fascinating past and unique character. Immune from the Mongol invasions all over Asia, Japan took its own turn. Samarai and donjons in feudal times. Mt. Fuji explosions, Shinto temples and life by the sword. And yet, from this unique background, Japan rose in the 20th century to dominate most of Asia before their surrender at the end of World War II. With millions of casualties and two cities devastated by the atomic bomb, Japan rose once again to become the epitome of a modern economy in the last 50 years of the 20th century. Thanks to an involved, enlightened and progressive government, Japanese relied on a government that took care of them. Japan’s governmental role is high in the economy and daily life; often seen as a loving, protective parent called Japan Incorporated. This is a story of a phoenix reborn from the ashes into the modern economic miracle of Japan Incorporated.

Brisk winds blew over the island of Honshu, and the sakura, eternally fickle, were in full bloom for our arrival. Cherry blossom petals danced across streets while the sweet smell withstood the dreary weather. Rain and clouds were the forecast for our trip, and indeed we only spotted the sun a few times over 5 days. We arrived in Kobe to a light drizzle and a land that is at least superficially similar to the West. Clean streets, skyscrapers, efficient public transportation, little to no crime, Irish pubs and Outback Steakhouse—Japan is a land of modernity. But scratch the surface of this efficient, clean and orderly society and you find a world completely different. Geisha in kimonos and Kobuke theatre performances. Donjons and samurai. Ancient temples and lightning-fast bullet trains. Kobe is famous for two incidents that will forever shape the culture of this thriving metropolis: the 1854 landing of Commodore William Perry from the United States and a massive earthquake that shook the stability of modern Japan in 1995. The Japanese were forcibly opened here in Kobe in the 19th century, and then rocked a century later by this harsh environment. Indeed, this is the Pacific Ring of Fire, a land of volcanoes, mountains and earthquakes.

If one could predict an economic powerhouse and the second largest economy of the world, even the wisest scholars would not choose Japan. Poor mineral and energy supplies, typhoons, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, few navigable waterways, an extreme climate with humidity in the south and freezing cold in the north. How could a country with 1/300 of the world’s land control 1/6 of the world’s wealth? Indeed, this rugged terrain and geography has shaped the Japanese culture and spirit of the people. It is a tough landscape where 85% of the land is sloping—great for scenery but poor for agriculture—and 4/5 mountainous. Compromising 1400 miles north to south (like Maine to Florida), the four islands of Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku support 135 million people. Just imagine California, a state with 36 million people on 3 times the land compared to Japan! The little Nippon level land, found mostly on the coasts, must cope with 3,000 – 4,000 people per square mile in the countryside. Furthermore, among the 4 islands of Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku, 2/3 of all the land area is on the island of Honshu, including most of the cities in Japan and most of the industry. And yet with 135 million, the Japanese are grappling with another issue, 0% population growth—a crude birth rate of 9, crude death rate of 8—and essentially a 0.1% population growth. This means the population is getting progressively older, restricting the shrinking labor force that will carry Japan into the 21st century and beyond.

The Japanese are one of the most homogenous and isolated cultures in the world, and yet welcomed Semester at Sea visitors with open hands. Random people on the streets practiced their English while others randomly proffered map assistance without any request. Over hearty bowls of ramen, I shared small tables, and fellow diners poured beer and sake for me (it’s considered greedy to pour your own).

I visited more temples in Japan than possibly any other land in the world. The interesting mix of Shintoism and Buddhism is alive and ancient in Nippon. Most Japanese practice aspects and rites from both religions, fused together through the centuries. Shinto, or “the way of the gods,” is the only true Japanese bred religion, believing in a pantheon of gods who represent elements of the natural world. A devout Shintoist may worship the spirit of a waterfall or a unique rock because Shinto holds thousands of deities holy, including local spirits, global gods and goddesses. Buddhism, much larger with over 90 million adherents, practice ancestor reverence and believe in a group of gods as well, including Buddha, Kannon (goddess of mercy), and Jizo (patron of travelers, children and the unborn). In contrast to Shintoism, Buddhists believe they must strive to live lives of virtue and wisdom in order to find peace and enlightenment.

With only two days to prepare for Japanese culture, I was playing catch-up with many of the cultural customs. For example, it is improper to walk and eat at the same time. Rather eating is a cultural custom that must be respected with time and focus. At the same time, loyalty, closeness and respect are important values, with selfishness considered the greatest character flaw. The group is also held extremely high, meaning that people must think of others and the members of their circle. In practice, this means watching what you say, taking care to avoid uncomfortable conflicts and apologizing at the slightest misunderstanding, even when it’s not your fault.

I based my time in Japan in Kyoto and the west Kansai region. With a Japanese Rail Pass and unlimited travel by train in this region four days (50$), I went to historic Kyoto, modern Osaka, cosmopolitan Kobe, peaceful Nara and the castle-dominated city, Himeji. Staying at K’s House Kyoto, a modern, welcoming and warm hostel near the Kyoto station, I traveled with a mix of English, Japanese and Aussies. We visited the Gold and Silver Temples with beautiful Japanese gardens (there are 4 kinds), and smelled the cherry-blossoms sprinkled around the White-Egret Castle, one of the best preserved and least distorted from the past in all of Japan. But compared to China and Vietnam, Japan was expensive, comparative to Western Europe and South Africa. I budgeted my money, eating sometimes at the Supermarket or our fun hostel to save money in between fast trains and efficient buses. While based in Kyoto, I utilized the methodical train schedule to make day trips to Nara full of wild and friendly deer, Osaka with its skyscrapers, Himeji’s Mt. Shosha, and Kobe’s restaurant scene.

While I slurped lots of ramen all over Honshu for its cheap, filling noodles, there was so much more to Japanese cuisine. Most restaurants specialize in one food, like sushi or yakitori, with plastic foods outside in the window showcasing the dishes for sale. Part of the fun of traveling Japan was the nihon ryori or Japanese cuisine. In addition to the well known Japanese staples Miso, Tofu, and Shoyu (soy sauce), washoku (Japanese dishes) include rice and noodles. Sushi and sashimi are served on conveyer belts (kaiten-zushi) with sake or beer. No sushi can compare with some of these delicacies. I also tried out Yakitori (skewers of grilled chicken and veggies) and, of course, tempura and ramen. I slurped udon and soba with the Ramen over Kirin and Asahi beers, which are even dispensed in vending machines.

One afternoon I ventured over to Japan’s oldest stadium, Koshien, near Osaka, for a Tigers game. Introduced to Japan in 1873, the game became popular in 1934 after Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig made a stop in town. Baseball is extremely popular in Japan, and culturally, very different. While talented national players like Nomo and Matsui head to the States, fans fill stadiums back home in Kobe, Osaka and Tokyo. Koshien was built in 1924 as Japan’s first stadium with 55,000 seats. Lucky and Lucky 2 are two mascots, who sing before and after the game with dances and chants. A huge jumbo-TV screen zooms in for replays, and as quite possibly the only White fan in the audience, I was proud to be broadcast to the Japanese jumbo-screen—large and live! I snacked on fried squid, curry rice and hot sake to warm my body on this cool spring day. The audience brought all kinds of gear including bats they used to cheer on their favorite players and chant. I only caught a few cheers, at least the one in English for the American player Andy. Oddly, there was also a sign that advertised no waves, a fact that my friend Hioshi reminded me of repeatedly during the game. Balloons were let off during the 7th and 9th innings, sharing among the crowd. Overall, the game was great—the home team Tigers won 7-0, and the pitcher earned a spot in history with his 1,000th strike-out. Everyone celebrated.

I tried another Japanese custom going to Arima Onsen, a natural and famous (one of three that are popular with the Japanese, although there are public baths all over Japan) natural hot springs outside of Kobe. Although I was worried about my tattoo (frowned upon in Japan due to the connection with the yakuza or Japanese mafia and ties to criminals), I bathed in the ritual hot springs with other Japanese men. The outstanding hot water was invigorating and relaxing, but I could only stay in for 20 minutes, unlike the Japanese who regularly bathe for over an hour.

Women have an interesting role in Japan. Long considered second-class citizens, the mountain is beginning to move more recently. While women have as many rights on paper as men, including owning property, obtaining a first-rate education, acquiring a divorce and running for political office, they have experienced discrimination with rigid gender roles for hundreds of years. Here the promised rights exceed the real human rights, and the workplace remains the land of men. The Japanese government has taken steps to address the inequalities, and recently passed the Basic Law for Gender Equality in 1999 to create a true exercise of rights. Life is slowly changing for the better, including more women in the Diet (10), or national parliamentary body.

Most of us have heard the stories of the samurai and feudal Japan. This is the time of honor and loyalty and the 47 Ronin. A ronin or wanderer was a samurai that was made masterless either by dismissal or execution or demotion of his lord, but the 47 Ronin was a poignant story about the virtue of samurai and Japanese society. In 1701, Asano Naganori, a lord of Ako in Harima was insulted by Kira Yoshinaka, the shogun’s chief of protocol. Asano had drawn his sword in the shogun’s castle, a capital offense and grave error. Forced to commit seppuku or ritual suicide, his land was confiscated from his family. Forty-seven of his samurai were masterless and vowed revenge by killing Kira. After two years of hiding their intent and pretending to live a life of dissipation, they attacked and killed Kira during an unguarded moment. They placed his head on their lord’s grave before they were ordered to kill themselves for having taken the law into their own hands. Loyalty beyond all else.

Japan’s greatest success and proudest accomplishment is the economic miracle of the 20th century. After 200 years of complete isolation from the outside world, the Japanese were thrust onto the global stage last century with amazing speed. The world’s second largest economy in the world (behind the Americans) since the 1980s, Japan’s economic machine is recovering from a recent recession. Proof of the Japanese success is the world’s largest car company, Toyota, recently passing GM for the first time in history. Unlike their American counterparts, Toyota is showing a tremendous profit, producing over 9 million cars this year. Toyota, like other Japanese cars and film products, are ubiquitous in most cities of the world. With the rapid pace of economic growth, there have also been consequences for modern Japan. The economic bubble burst in the late 1990s when the real estate market took a random turn for the worst. Also, the low birth rate of 1.27 (compared to 2.25 in the US) means that the Japanese must either embrace higher immigration like the US or continue to age and live with a shrinking population. With a homogenous population, there is much internal criticism about the intense focus on economic growth and the low quality of life. Education is the most important part of life for most Japanese, and entrance exams are almost unbelievably competitive. There are no hobbies and there is a lot of family pressure to succeed through education. When asked what studying abroad students from Japan do in the United States, our interport lecturer added, they say they don’t know. Studying is often the only hobby for young Japanese. Finally, Japan is also opening up, sending students outside of the archipelago to make contact with other cultures, languages and peoples. Indeed, programs like the Peace Corps and Japanese exchange programs may prevent wars like those from the bloody 20th century.

The Bomb continues to haunt and strangely positively influence the character and culture of Japan. In Global Studies, a poet and a historian debated the ethical use of the greatest weapon the world has ever created and used. War is terrible in any form and we cannot erase the deeds of the past, but many experts like Dr. Charles Carlton argue that Truman’s decision to exploit and harness the atomic bomb’s power saved more lives all around, Allied and Japanese lives. Based on Japanese information, the Japanese military thinkers believed the US would not invade, and that the “great peace-maker” Stalin would swoop in to save the day. But Hirohito could not be more wrong. Stalin the blood-thirsty. Stalin the murderer. But never Stalin the olive-branch bearer. The Russians and the Americans were readying for an all-out invasion to Honshu while the Japanese planned the defense of their island. Immediately preceding Japan’s unconditional surrender, the Russians declared war, preparing troops in the north. The bomb was dropped in Hiroshima and instantly, 250,000 were dead. But the bombs wiped away the horrible Japanese war offences including medical testing on prisoners of war, terrible use of gases, and gross injustices to the Geneva war accords. In one foul sweep, the Japanese were victims, not offenders. All memory of their invasion and conquering of Asia was forgotten, and the West set about repairing and rebuilding. Massive loans from the US following occupation helped to develop the Japanese economy into a export-oriented, labor-intensive economy that build key industries such as cameras (Canon, Fuji and Nikon), cars, and other industries. Indeed, our Japanese interport lecturer attributed the love of American culture and people to the generosity of the American dollars following a terrible war.

Japan Incorporated is a remarkable state—clean, efficient, and orderly. Our trip has effectively come to an end as we are welcomed to the Pacific Ocean and spring. The sakura were in full bloom to signal our arrival to Japan, and the people were equally as warm and welcoming as any people the world over.