9 ms·

Japan was the future but it's stuck in the past

24 points by vijayr02 4y ago

ecpottinger 4y ago
The author said he did not expect Japan to change. But change is coming and the longer it is held off the greater the change will be.
ekianjo 4y ago
not sure what the point of this article is. it keeps jumping from one subject to another, and while the observations are mostly accurate, that does not mean you have anything meaningful to say.
- yokoprime 4y ago
  What if the point was the observations? These are this persons thoughts after spending a decade in Japan. Having never lived in Japan, I found this article fascinating
  - ekianjo 4y ago
    That's pretty limited if all he has to share is random shower thoughts
hexage1814 4y ago
Another day, another BBC article trying to shame japan for not accepting somali "refugees".
- slaw 4y ago
  Why it is always Japan blamed and not China or other Asian countries?
zzzbra 4y ago
pointless meandering article if you’re familiar with the situation at all.
Magi604 4y ago
Interesting the passage about the elaborate manhole covers. Just a few days ago there was a thread that showed how these elaborate manhole covers were made: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34423224 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34423224 As I was watching the video I admired the relative craftsmanship that went into each one of those manholes, but I also couldn't help but feel that they were being over-processed. This BBC article helps me put some of those feelings into words.
- petre 4y ago
  The Japanese are very particular in how they do things in order to make their work perfect, from food to everything else. I watch bicycle building videos from all over the world. The most professional shop I've seen is Blue Lug from Japan.
  - LargoLasskhyfv 4y ago
    I looked them up just now, and can't understand it. Don't they have rain? Don't they care about/produce bicycles for people who drive during all weather? These things look all like broken by design to me, because they lack mudguards and real porters/carriers for people who want to transport their groceries somewhere else than in a backpack, or a feeble basket mounted on the handlebar.
    - nicbou 4y ago
      Cycling has its own subcultures. They like impractical, offbeat things like every other subculture. Same with cars, mechanical keyboards and fashion.
      - LargoLasskhyfv 4y ago
        Heh! I like my https://deskthority.net/wiki/Marquardt_Mini-Ergo https://deskthority.net/wiki/Marquardt_Mini-Ergo :-)
        4y ago
bamboozled 4y ago
As someone who just went through a 10 day process to get an eSIM on a recent long stay business trip I can relate to the sentiment in this article a bit too much. What I went through was honestly the most ridiculously broken outdated process via the most outdated, user hostile webform I've ever experienced. I am actually concerned for Japan after having been through it because I know many people there go through similar experiences quite often. I told a colleague and he said he needed to transfer his license plates from another prefecture and he actually cried over how much of his time it took. About 3-4 full days of running around different offices. I know this sounds mental but I almost felt like I'd end up in seriously dangerous depressive spiral over how much of my time it all sucked up and then I just felt depressed about all the people who work at the national carrier and their lives too. One day I was on the phone from 9am - 8pm trying to get the issues resolved. I'm not sure when, if, how things will improve for Japan but I hope things change for the better sooner rather than later because there are, like everywhere a lot of remarkable people and things there as well.
- haunter 4y ago
  I used esimdb before and it was perfect. Wouldn’t that work in Japan too! They have a lot of options https://esimdb.com/japan https://esimdb.com/japan
  - bamboozled 4y ago
    That's cool but I needed a phone number for several months.
- ekianjo 4y ago
  > dangerous depressive spiral over how much of my time it all sucked up You should try the French administration - it's 100 times worse than that.
  - doe88 4y ago
    Can't speak for Japan, but recently in france I had to renew a document and was astonished when the relevant administration didn't live-up to its atrocious reputation and provided a smooth process. I'm sure it was a outlier and I was lucky.
chewz 4y ago
Japan is the future that we in the West will never get. After almost 30 years of economic slowdown and demographic crisis Japan is still culturally cohesive, well functioning society with fairly high standards of living shared more or less equally. Not stuck and split by endless internal conflicts and violence.. Also Japanese economy could be divided into productive part (Toyota's etc.) and unproductive (Mom and Pap shop run by 75 year olds). And the former is increasing it's productivity every year. I don't believe that in 25 years EU, China or US would be nowhere near levels of comfort and stability of today's Japan.
- petre 4y ago
  You seem to forget that Japan had at least 150 years of constant civil war. It's culturally cohesive because they force everyone into conformity. There's a story about a homeless castaway happily living on a secluded island, until they've found him, send him over to the mainland and banned him from ever returning. Which is probably why they have so many subcultures and emphasize on hobbies. https://www.tokyoweekender.com/2022/07/obsessed-irwin-wong-japan-subcultures/ https://www.tokyoweekender.com/2022/07/obsessed-irwin-wong-j... I wouldn't worry too much for them. I'd worry if I was Russia or China or North Korea if they are given a carte blanch for revival of militarism and left unchecked.
  - ChuckNorris89 4y ago
    >It's culturally cohesive because they force everyone into conformity. As did modern Germany, France, Italy, Romania, Spain etc. No European country is 100% homogenous. They each have regions that have little in common culturally with the country but they were assimilated by force.
    - nicbou 4y ago
      This is in no way comparable. Cultural conformity is not being enforced in Europe. Not in schools, not at work, and not in general society. Definitely not to the level you'd experience in Japan.
ohm 4y ago
There’s a YouTube channel that talks about these things. The most recent video is about Japanese postal service. https://www.youtube.com/@TheJapanChannelDcom https://www.youtube.com/@TheJapanChannelDcom

24 points by vijayr02 4y ago

The author said he did not expect Japan to change. But change is coming and the longer it is held off the greater the change will be.

ekianjo 4y ago

not sure what the point of this article is. it keeps jumping from one subject to another, and while the observations are mostly accurate, that does not mean you have anything meaningful to say.

yokoprime 4y ago
What if the point was the observations? These are this persons thoughts after spending a decade in Japan. Having never lived in Japan, I found this article fascinating
- ekianjo 4y ago
  That's pretty limited if all he has to share is random shower thoughts

hexage1814 4y ago

Another day, another BBC article trying to shame japan for not accepting somali "refugees".

slaw 4y ago
Why it is always Japan blamed and not China or other Asian countries?

zzzbra 4y ago

pointless meandering article if you’re familiar with the situation at all.

Magi604 4y ago

Interesting the passage about the elaborate manhole covers. Just a few days ago there was a thread that showed how these elaborate manhole covers were made: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34423224 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34423224 As I was watching the video I admired the relative craftsmanship that went into each one of those manholes, but I also couldn't help but feel that they were being over-processed. This BBC article helps me put some of those feelings into words.

petre 4y ago
The Japanese are very particular in how they do things in order to make their work perfect, from food to everything else. I watch bicycle building videos from all over the world. The most professional shop I've seen is Blue Lug from Japan.
- LargoLasskhyfv 4y ago
  I looked them up just now, and can't understand it. Don't they have rain? Don't they care about/produce bicycles for people who drive during all weather? These things look all like broken by design to me, because they lack mudguards and real porters/carriers for people who want to transport their groceries somewhere else than in a backpack, or a feeble basket mounted on the handlebar.
  - nicbou 4y ago
    Cycling has its own subcultures. They like impractical, offbeat things like every other subculture. Same with cars, mechanical keyboards and fashion.
    - LargoLasskhyfv 4y ago
      Heh! I like my https://deskthority.net/wiki/Marquardt_Mini-Ergo https://deskthority.net/wiki/Marquardt_Mini-Ergo :-)
      - 4y ago

bamboozled 4y ago

As someone who just went through a 10 day process to get an eSIM on a recent long stay business trip I can relate to the sentiment in this article a bit too much. What I went through was honestly the most ridiculously broken outdated process via the most outdated, user hostile webform I've ever experienced. I am actually concerned for Japan after having been through it because I know many people there go through similar experiences quite often. I told a colleague and he said he needed to transfer his license plates from another prefecture and he actually cried over how much of his time it took. About 3-4 full days of running around different offices. I know this sounds mental but I almost felt like I'd end up in seriously dangerous depressive spiral over how much of my time it all sucked up and then I just felt depressed about all the people who work at the national carrier and their lives too. One day I was on the phone from 9am - 8pm trying to get the issues resolved. I'm not sure when, if, how things will improve for Japan but I hope things change for the better sooner rather than later because there are, like everywhere a lot of remarkable people and things there as well.

haunter 4y ago
I used esimdb before and it was perfect. Wouldn’t that work in Japan too! They have a lot of options https://esimdb.com/japan https://esimdb.com/japan
- bamboozled 4y ago
  That's cool but I needed a phone number for several months.
ekianjo 4y ago
> dangerous depressive spiral over how much of my time it all sucked up You should try the French administration - it's 100 times worse than that.
- doe88 4y ago
  Can't speak for Japan, but recently in france I had to renew a document and was astonished when the relevant administration didn't live-up to its atrocious reputation and provided a smooth process. I'm sure it was a outlier and I was lucky.

chewz 4y ago

Japan is the future that we in the West will never get. After almost 30 years of economic slowdown and demographic crisis Japan is still culturally cohesive, well functioning society with fairly high standards of living shared more or less equally. Not stuck and split by endless internal conflicts and violence.. Also Japanese economy could be divided into productive part (Toyota's etc.) and unproductive (Mom and Pap shop run by 75 year olds). And the former is increasing it's productivity every year. I don't believe that in 25 years EU, China or US would be nowhere near levels of comfort and stability of today's Japan.

petre 4y ago
You seem to forget that Japan had at least 150 years of constant civil war. It's culturally cohesive because they force everyone into conformity. There's a story about a homeless castaway happily living on a secluded island, until they've found him, send him over to the mainland and banned him from ever returning. Which is probably why they have so many subcultures and emphasize on hobbies. https://www.tokyoweekender.com/2022/07/obsessed-irwin-wong-japan-subcultures/ https://www.tokyoweekender.com/2022/07/obsessed-irwin-wong-j... I wouldn't worry too much for them. I'd worry if I was Russia or China or North Korea if they are given a carte blanch for revival of militarism and left unchecked.
- ChuckNorris89 4y ago
  >It's culturally cohesive because they force everyone into conformity. As did modern Germany, France, Italy, Romania, Spain etc. No European country is 100% homogenous. They each have regions that have little in common culturally with the country but they were assimilated by force.
  - nicbou 4y ago
    This is in no way comparable. Cultural conformity is not being enforced in Europe. Not in schools, not at work, and not in general society. Definitely not to the level you'd experience in Japan.

ohm 4y ago

There’s a YouTube channel that talks about these things. The most recent video is about Japanese postal service. https://www.youtube.com/@TheJapanChannelDcom https://www.youtube.com/@TheJapanChannelDcom