The purpose of this essay is to study the
origin of certain characteristics of the Japanese society. Values such as
punctuality and precision in the Japanese work culture are often debated to
have varied roots. While some argue that these stem from the cultural history
of Japan; a large section believes that such values have made home in the
Japanese society, due to the compulsions of rapid industrialisation, which has
given Japan almost a miracle economy status in the eyes of the world.
Various indicators of social belief and
value systems however, present a rather confusing thought process when it comes
to following ideologies such as precision and punctuality, in the average daily
life of a Japanese citizen. In this paper, it is aimed to sort out this
confusion and trace the roots of Japanese ideologies. This is attempted by
analysing the influence of culture and industrialisation separately.
Under cultural indicators of origins of
Japanese characteristic qualities, we first study the role of the Samurai as a
primary contributor of discipline, precision and orderliness.
Japan
had been in a state of turmoil since time unknown, even until the world war. It
had been a group of warring states forever trying to gain control over one
another. Important parts of this setup were the samurai and shoguns; which have
been traced to exist from a period as early as Asuka and Nara. Samurais were a
warring tribe extremely deft in their art of war, disciplined by their faith in
Zen and Confucism. Samurai followed a strict code of conduct and were highly
respected in the Japanese society even to the extent that their influence made
them rise to the status of rulers in the late Heian period. This intense
influence of the Samurai heritage on Japanese ideology is still significant in
the present day; especially when the modern Japanese businessmen are easily
able to trace their roots to a certain Samurai clan. It will not be mere
guessing if we state that cultural mores such as honesty, integrity, obedience,
punctuality, orderliness and precision are the gifts of a rich Samurai
heritage, which once existed in a turmoil ridden Japan. (1. http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2127.html) (2. The
Rise of Buddhism in Politics and War By Justin Rowan)
Another cultural more, which can be a
probable explanation to the Japanese etiquette and style of work, is the
Japanese obsession with shoes and cleanliness. Japanese have a strict code of
conduct when it comes to shoes. There is separate footwear to wear outdoors,
inside home, to the toilet and to the ‘tatami’ area; and Japanese take the task
of following this code very seriously. The origins of this habit can be traced
back to the Heian period. Due to the Japanese culture of sleeping on floor and
the very heavy rains during this period, it must have been a necessity to
change shoes when coming from outdoors in order to avoid accumulation of dirt
and wet mud, stuck to the footwear. Even to the present day this norm is strictly
followed wherein Japanese will place the outdoor shoes on a rack in the
‘genkan’ (entrance) area and use separate footwear to access areas such as
tatami, toilet and other living areas. This tradition is also of significance
to Japanese in the sense that it separates the work time from the time to
relax. Thus putting off shoes while entering homes and using slippers around
the house is an act of relaxing for the average Japanese; with the change in
footwear marking the actual time of relaxing. Thus a tradition as routine as
changing of footwear, bears a deep significance in establishing a relation
between the Japanese characteristic behaviour of orderliness and timeliness
with a traditional act. (http://www.tjf.or.jp/eng/content/japaneseculture/02kutsu.htm)
Of
importance is also to observe and derive from the Japanese culture of eating. Japanese
are one brand of people that enjoy eating and take delight in the activity. A
typical Japanese meal is a great demonstration of a set of important Japanese
values, and the significance of order in each act executed. Thus even the most
ordinary of a dining act can require up to, the use of around seventeen
separate utensils (this does not includes glasses) by an individual - each
utensil having a separate purpose. Also to be followed during the meal is a
special code of conduct; for example, it is customary to raise your glass a
little when a drink is being poured in it; to lift your bowl and eat; utilising
an instrument like a chopstick in a special manner to serve, eat or break food
into smaller pieces; and putting back everything on the table in its original
place, when the meal is over. Japanese are very particular that the tradition
laid down for eating is followed each day for every single meal. Thus by
ensuring a procedure they lay particular stress on structure, organisation,
harmony, cleanliness and on finding out the best possible way to do the
simplest of acts. (http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2005.html)
One must also pay attention to the ceremony
of tea drinking in the Japanese culture. The origins of this ceremony can be
traced back to as early as the ninth century, when it was observed by the
Buddhist Monk Eichu, after his return from China. The ceremony involves the use
of as many as 5 different utensils to drink a tea and a single session can last
until four hours. The tea drinking ceremony signifies the attention paid to
detail in the Japanese way of life, and how they designate ‘a time for
everything’; even for an activity as simple as drinking tea. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_tea_ceremony)
Lastly in this section we discuss the
Japanese art of flower arrangement or, Ikebana. Ikebana as an art has been
tracked to evolve in the 15th century (from the act of offering
flowers at the altar while worshipping). Japanese as order conscious people
have sought to harmonise even with the nature through such an art as Ikebana.
The art focuses on developing arrangement faculties in an Ikebana artist, to
bring out the beauty and harmony in the most complex of nature’s elements as a
living plant. Thus it can be boldly stated that a trait as difficult to master
as harmony, has been practised by the Japanese since time unknown; this has not
only given them an edge in the modern business context but, has also fetched a
distinct positive reputation in the international community. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikebana)
Cultural influences in developing traits
such as harmony, structured approach and orderliness have been well established
by the arguments presented until now. However, the existence of traits such as
punctuality still remain a mystery to the reader; therefore, another realm of
Japanese behavioural evolution is discussed in the remaining part of the essay
to bring out clearly all the factors contributing to a typical Japanese
character.
Often argued by a large part of academic
researchers and historians is the possibility of Japan acquiring and building
its ethics and code of conduct in wake of the need for rapid industrialisation.
Most researchers cite that Japan had been just another laid back society until
recently. This has been evidenced by the account of various foreigners who
spent time in japan in a past as recent as the late 19th century (or
the end of the Edo period in Japan).
The account of Dutch man Willem van
Kattendyke who spent two years in Nagasaki, teaching Western navigation and
scientific technology, mentions various accounts as proof to the general laid
back attitude of the Japanese people. In this account he mentions about an
incident where certain supplies were delivered late and how, a stable man went
around wishing New Year’s greetings for two days. The reasons for such
behaviour can be related to the lack of accurate time measuring devices and
units in Japan. For a long period of time Japan followed the seasonal clock;
which divided the night and day into six rough sections – which were too broad
for accurate time keeping. Even after the introduction of the mechanical clock
in Japan, in the late sixteenth century, the Japanese did not adapt to the
western principles of time keeping. Rather they utilised the mechanical clocks
to adapt to the seasonal clock. It was not until three centuries later that the
Japanese actually started to follow the more precise western clock system;
giving them an actual sense of timeliness and punctuality. Thus only after the
adoption of western clocks as a mass public habit, could Japan develop its
ethic for punctuality; so essentially this happened just before the start of
industrialisation. Hence, punctuality as a newly developed Japanese trait
contributed to the nation’s industrial development. (Reprint of “Japanese Clocks and the History
of Punctuality in Modern Japan,” East Asian Science, Technology, and Society:
An International Journal, 2 (2008): 123–133.)
The change from seasonal clock to western
clock system in the 19th Century had its influence on almost all
major institutions of the nation; of significance, the primary school. A letter
dating back to the Meiji period (1873 exactly), issued by the Ministry of
education as a direction to the students of primary school, clearly states:
“Make sure that you are at school ten
minutes before the start of class every day.
If you are late for school, do not enter
the classroom without permission; explain the reason for your tardiness and
wait for your teacher’s instructions.”
The letter, which may not have been
followed strictly at the time, at least laid the foundation for communicating
the importance of time, to a Japan struggling to gain economic independence and
relevance.
By issuing such a strict circular to
children of tender age, the authorities at least ingrained in the upcoming
generation, the value of time. Thus the youth (which would contribute as the
driver of country’s development programmes) learnt that ‘time’ was important if
order and progress was to be restored in a chaotic and war torn society as
Japan’s. (Japan Review, 2002, 14:121-133 121 Teaching
Punctuality: Inside and Outside the Primary School NISHIMOTO Ikuko)
Even in the factories and other workplaces,
punctuality started being stressed upon. It was not unusual for the upcoming
factories of the time, to have a clock tower nearby. Workers were often
expected to report for work, a little early than the start time and leave a
little after the usual end time. Adherence to the clock became common for the
workers in such institutions; the employers even tried to exploit such
behaviour of the workers by purposely delaying the clocks, in order to make the
workers work more. (Reprint of “Japanese Clocks and the
History of Punctuality in Modern Japan,” East Asian Science, Technology, and
Society: An International Journal, 2 (2008): 123–133.)
It was being understood in Japan then, that
modernisation relied on timeliness to a great extent. This belief was
incorporated In the Japanese way of work, to the proportions of an obsession.
Results of this obsession can be seen in the development of work schemes such
as Just-In-Time which was developed in a Japanese corporation Toyota. The
approach closely follows a time pattern to effectively manage production,
inventory and delivery to the customer, minimising losses and keeping cash
liquid. Such approaches have been so successful in context of modern
organisations that they have been adopted world over by any progressive
endeavour.
The Japanese railway system which is a
symbol of such strict punctuality that it is considered impossible to be
achieved by a human; had not been the same always. Around the time when the
western clock system was adopted, rail road lines were being laid. With the
increasing network of rail road lines and the ever increasing speed of trains,
complexities started to emerge in the system. At a point in time, the average
delay in a train service could be an hour or two. There was an urgent need to
sort out this problem, if a good transport and communication network were to be
created, in order to facilitate the progress of industries. Under such
circumstances, Japan was one of the first to lay down double track lines, study
time and motion and adapt to automatic coupling system to address the need of
being on time. Even an effective monitoring, repairing and service system was
put in place to ensure timeliness. The result of such an approach is evident
until now, where trains running at speeds up to 300 km/hr are subject to faults
only once in a million runs; Giving Japanese trains the reputation of being
inhumanly punctual always. (INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL
OF ECONOMICS AND FINANCE STUDIES Vol
4, No 2, 2012 ISSN: 1309-8055 (Online) 277 PUNCTUALITY:
JAPANESE BUSINESS CULTURE, RAILWAY SERVICE AND COORDINATION PROBLEM Tetsuro
OKAZAKI)
During the late 19th century and
early 20th century Japan, emphasis was also being paid to introduce
the value of precision and punctuality in the social and household context.
Exhibitions were being put up to detail on scientific technologies, scientific
approaches and the importance of time. Also simultaneously the metric system
was being promoted in Japan. Thus, a special focus was being made to make the
masses understand the value of precision and time in order to earn more and
have a better lifestyle. For example, a poster ad of the era elucidates upon
the time being taken by ladies to dress their hair. Such time taken could be anywhere
between five to fifty five minutes depending upon the kind of hairdo. A simple
single plait would obviously take lesser time compared to a tedious traditional
shimada style of hair dressing. Thus importance was being laid upon how the
public could make an efficient use of time, to use the spare time thus gained,
in various economic activities to increase their income and standard of living.
((Reprint of “Japanese Clocks and the History of
Punctuality in Modern Japan,” East Asian Science, Technology, and Society: An
International Journal, 2 (2008): 123–133.)
A popular comic strip ‘sazae san’ which was
published from 1949 to 1974, captured the sentiment of the Japanese behavioural
evolution marvellously by means of a comic. In various episodes of the strip,
it has been reflected upon, how the use of appliances and modern technology by
the Japanese has lead to accumulation of more spare time by an individual;
which the individual is free to employ to increase his/her income or living
standard. Thus the concept of ‘time is money’ seems to be only recently
established in the Japanese society. (Reprint of
“Japanese Clocks and the History of Punctuality in Modern Japan,” East Asian
Science, Technology, and Society: An International Journal, 2 (2008): 123–133.)
Concluding from the arguments presented in
this essay, it can be rightly said in the case of Japan that:
‘A country where there are impeccably clean
streets, one can easily find a recyclable trash receptacle and has difficulty
finding a garbage bin; leaves one
wondering at the conflict between orderliness and the lack of attention to
detail. A country where the culture is to worship ones forefathers also,
exhibits the indifference of youth towards elders in day to day life - in even
the simplest of activities as offering a seat on the bus, to the elderly.’ ("A Glimpse of a
Heritage through a Bamboo Curtain by a Common-Tao" Miguel N. Lopez)
It is difficult to trace the origins of its
behavioural typesets to a certain era. In a nation so full with ambiguity and
conflicting attitudes there is no clear line of demarcation between the old and
the new.
While we have observed that certain behavioural
aspects stemmed from deep rooted cultural and traditional mores such as love
for harmony, discipline and cleanliness; others such as precision and
punctuality seem to have been inculcated in a Japan on the brink of an
industrial revolution. Such a change in behavioural approaches has been more or
less the need of the hour in order to contribute to the growth of the nation.
To sum up, it can be safely stated that
while Japan has owed certain characteristic behaviour to the need of
industrialisation; it has only been able to do so, due to the widespread
following of certain old traditions and philosophies such as Kaizen which
enables to embrace a positive change and connote continuous improvement. Thus
even the modern behavioural trends can be related to have sprung from
traditional attitudes.
