Godzilla the Destroyer: Why Japanese culture wins at business and politics

Large companies strapped with labor union rules have turned to Japan hoping to learn something through Six Sigma or some other borrowed manufacturing method to improve their delivery times and product quality.  But they seldom ever work with spectacular results leaving companies to “cook the books” so to justify their commitment to such programs because the workers are still operating with the same type of mentality that they did before any written procedure.  The Japanese people think differently than other people in the world.  The root of their differences is their firm commitment to Shinto Buddhism passed down to their culture through their Samurai history.  To understand a bit of Shinto Buddhism one must understand the nature of what Shinto is.  The most modern example of Shinto to Japanese culture is the films of Godzilla—which is about to get a major upgrade from Warner Brothers in 2014.  See the preview below which has me very, very excited.  I love Godzilla—King of the Monsters! 

Godzilla’s allegiance and motivations have changed from film to film to suit the needs of the story. Although Godzilla does not like humans,^[38] it will fight alongside humanity against common threats. However, it makes no special effort to protect human life or property much the way Japanese people see the world ^[39] and will turn against its human allies on a whim. It is not motivated to attack by predatory instinct: it doesn’t eat people,^[25] and instead sustains itself on radiation^[40] and an omnivorous diet.^[36][41] When inquired if Godzilla was “good or bad”, producer Shogo Tomiyama likened it to a Shinto “God of Destruction” which lacks moral agency and cannot be held to human standards of good and evil. “He totally destroys everything and then there is a rebirth. Something new and fresh can begin.”^[25]  Godzilla represents Japanese culture and their ability to deal with major tragedy and give rebirth to their country over and over again.  It is in this resiliency that the Japanese people find they are one of the most productive countries in the world—and able to embrace capitalism with a warm support that has caused their economy to swell.  Per capita, they are among the most productive people in existence.  Below are just a few attributes and interesting facts about Japanese culture.

Japanese children clean their schools every day for a quarter of an hour with teachers. This led to the emergence of a Japanese generation who is modest and keen on cleanliness.

* Any  Japanese citizen who has a dog must carry special bags to pick up dog droppings. Hygiene and their eagerness to address cleanliness is part of Japanese ethics.

* A hygiene worker in Japan is called “health engineer” and can command salary of USD 5000 to 8000 per month, and a  cleaner is subjected to written and oral tests!!

* Japan does not have any natural resources, and they are exposed to hundreds of earthquakes a year, but this has not prevented its becoming the second largest economy in the  world.

* In just ten years Hiroshima returned to what it was economically vibrant before the fall of the atomic bomb.

* Japan prevents the use of mobile phones in trains, restaurants and indoors.

* For first to sixth primary year Japanese students must learn ethics in dealing with people.

* Even though one of the richest people in the world, the Japanese do not have servants.The parents are responsible for the house and children.

* There is no examination from the first to the third primary level because the goal of education is to instill concepts and character building.

* If  you go to a buffet restaurant in Japan you will notice people only eat as much as they need without any waste because food must not be wasted.

* The rate of delayed trains in Japan is about 7 seconds per year!!
The Japanese appreciate the value of time and are very punctual to minutes and seconds.

* Children in schools brush their teeth (sterile) and clean their teeth after a meal at school, teaching them to maintain their health from an early age.

* Japanese students take half an hour to finish their meals to ensure proper digestion because these students are the future of Japan.

The Japanese focus on maintaining their own culture.
Therefore. . . .

* No political leader or a prime minister from an Islamic nation has ever visited Japan – not the Ayatollah of Iran, the King of Saudi Arabia or even a Saudi Prince!!

* Japan is a country keeping Islam at bay by putting strict restrictions on Islam and ALL Muslims.

      1) Japan is the only nation that does NOT give citizenship to Muslims.
      2) In Japan permanent residency is NOT given  to Muslims.
      3) There is a strong BAN on the propagation of Islam in Japan .
      4) In the University of Japan , Arabic or any Islamic language is NOT taught.
      5) One CANNOT import a ‘Koran’ published in the Arabic language.
      6) According to data published by the Japanese  government, it has given temporary residency to only 2  lakhs,(Muslims), who             must follow the Japanese Law of the Land. These  Muslims should speak Japanese and carry their religious rituals in their                 homes.
      7) Japan is the only country in the world that has a negligible number of embassies in Islamic countries.
      8) Muslims residing in Japan are the employees of foreign companies.
      9) Even today, visas are not granted to Muslim doctors, engineers or managers sent by foreign companies.
    10) In the majority of companies it is stated in their regulations that NO Muslims should apply for a job.
    11) The Japanese government is of the opinion that Muslims are fundamentalist, and even in the era of globalization they  are                  not willing to change their Muslim laws.
    12) Muslims CANNOT even rent a house in Japan.
    13) If anyone comes to know that his neighbor is a Muslim then the whole neighborhood stays alert.
    14) No one can start an Islamic cell or Arabic ‘Madrasa’ in Japan 
    15) There is NO Sharia law in Japan .
    16) If a Japanese woman marries a Muslim, she is considered an outcast  forever!
    17) According to Mr. Kumiko Yagi, Professor of Arab/Islamic Studies at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, ” There is a mind               frame in Japan that Islam is a very narrow-minded religion and one should stay away from it, permanently!

Years ago when I was younger I worked at Cincinnati Milacron as a lathe machine rebuilder, and on my tool box where my co-workers had pictures of naked women, cars, and sports figures, mine had a photo of The Millennium Falcon and a list of the 9 Ways of the Samurai taken from Miyamoto Musashi’s epic book called The Book of Five Rings.  They are as follows:

1. Do not think dishonestly.

2. The Way is in training.

3. Become acquainted with every art.

4. Know the Ways of all professions.

5. Distinguish between gain and loss in worldly matters.

6. Develop intuitive judgment and understanding for everything.

7. Perceive those things which cannot be seen.

8. Pay attention even to trifles.

9. Do nothing which is of no use.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_Five_Rings

I studied and studied and studied those words, and read Miyamoto Musashi’s book over and over again—I still do.  The book means so much to me that I gave a copy of it to both of my son-in-laws so that they could learn how to be a proper man with those basic foundations.  Godzilla is the monster embodiment of all those 9 Ways and is unique to Japanese culture.  They are also the key to why the Japanese are so epically successful while other aspects of world culture struggles.

I don’t agree with everything the Japanese do—for instance they are gross collectivists.  But the 9 Ways of the Samurai are something that should come out of American culture and the cowboy lore of our foundation rather than the Samurai of Japan.  But what I do admire is that they have a value system which they preserve, and those values show up in their economy.  You don’t hear of labor unions ruining the Japanese people—they wouldn’t put up with it—because their Shinto Buddhist belief system would prevent them from adhering to union rules in the fashion so prevalent in the United States or communist countries.  The movie monster Godzilla is the embodiment of their belief system, the destructive nature of terror mixed with the life renewing force of rebirth.  To them, rebirth is an opportunity to correct things and live again, where in the West it is something to be terrified of, and avoided.  Godzilla is their way of dealing with the bombing of Hiroshima, and most recently the tsunami that caused such havoc over much of their country.  In Japan, they embrace fear, death, and sorrow with a boldness which allows them to get right back on their feet again and keep producing—because their value system holds them together.

American businesses have tried to study the Japanese with the hope that they could copy off their paper without adopting their way of thinking.  I watched labor disputes end Cincinnati Milacron while I worked there and read Musashi’s quotes as workers protested the loss of their jobs.  I used to contemplate that the people I worked with were fools not in touch with the Way of life—the Way of a living force for good and bad.  The Japanese tap into this energy and make vibrant economies with a land mass the size of most states in America.  The miracle of their society is within those 9 Samurai Ways.  But their mythology is most impressively—and metaphorically present in the movie monster Godzilla—a creature from the distant past—victimized by mankind’s destructive trends—only to become a destroyer of all that is oppressive—in a process that is life-renewing…instead of considered traditionally destructive.

To read more about Miyamoto Musashi click the link below:

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Miyamoto_Musashi

And be ready to see Godzilla in the summer of2014.  I’ll be the first in line!

Rich Hoffman

 www.OVERMANWARRIOR.com