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> Considering this comes from Japan... Can you explain to me why this follows? I don't usually associate "hot air exaggeration" with Japanese culture.

Dalewyn 4y ago
I reflected on this once before[1], but basically I've seen Japan design great things only for them to fail on execution time and time again. I'm sick and tired of them at this point, so I simply refuse to hold my breath on anything coming from Japan until I see it in action. [1]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34803445 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34803445
- mulmen 4y ago
  By any economic measure Japan is an advanced productive nation. Like top five in the world. At the same time they have maintained a high quality of life over decades and a unique culture.
  - Dalewyn 4y ago
    That is tangent to whether Japan can bring projects to fruition. The recent termination of the Mitsubishi Regional Jet is a perfect example (among many others) of what I'm sick and tired about with Japan: Lots of bold claims to start, absolute failure when time comes to execute.
    - mulmen 4y ago
      Seems like cherry (or is that lemon?) picking. The United States has failed projects too, as do all advanced economies. There’s no way Japan got where it is today if they can’t execute.
  - astrange 4y ago
    The private sector in Japan is not especially productive and definitely has trends of choosing unworkable gadget ideas that nobody outside the country would ever care about. A fusion reactor that doesn't work is a sort of big Galapagos phone.
    - mulmen 4y ago
      Japan is the 4th largest exporter in the world. At that level big gambles are responsible bets. Japan already has an established industrial and economic base. They can afford to experiment. At their scale failures come for free and still have positive value.
- wolverine876 4y ago
  > I've seen Japan design great things only for them to fail on execution time and time again. Is there a country more renowned for engineering than Japan? Maybe Germany?
  - Dalewyn 4y ago
    The United States of America. Yes, I'm being 100% objectively serious.
    - 77pt77 4y ago
      The infrastructure since disproves your claim. You are in for a very rude awakening in the next few years.
      - Dalewyn 4y ago
        The United States of America is host to: * The forefront of IT engineering (Intel, AMD, Nvidia, IBM, Texas Instruments, Qualcomm, Micron, Microsoft, Apple, Google, Seagate, Western Digital, Cisco, etc.). * The forefront of aeronautics and space engineering (Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, General Electric, General Dynamics, Honeywell, SpaceX, etc.). * The forefront of higher education for engineering (MIT, Caltech, etc.). * The forefront of new engineering research and development (NASA, DARPA, the National Laboratories, National Science Foundation, etc.). * Leaders in medical engineering (Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, etc.). * The most powerful and capable military in the world, made possible by the vast above-mentioned engineering base and more. You're more than likely reading and posting on HN using technologies engineered, either in whole or in part, by Americans. You're welcome. As regards infrastructure upkeep, even Japan is suffering from insufficient upkeep of infrastructure to the point of crumbling; they simply aren't as infamous for them as America is.
        _0ffh 4y ago
        I am sure none would claim that the US has not produced great things, but in an economy of world wide trade, even the US is very much dependent on foreign products. Just for one high tech example, the most sophisticated chips in the computer you use (whether desktop, laptop or phone) are almost certainly produced in Taiwan, who in turn rely on high tech manufacturing equipment from Europe. You're welcome, too! Isn't international trade a great thing?
- Jensson 4y ago
  But Japan makes 45% of the worlds industrial robots. https://ifr.org/ifr-press-releases/news/japan-is-worlds-number-one-robot-maker https://ifr.org/ifr-press-releases/news/japan-is-worlds-numb... So even though they fail at some things, Japan is absolutely an engineering powerhouse, and a key part of our current industrialized world. So for a project requiring a ton of advanced robotics or industrial systems I'd put Japan being involved as a plus, they are the best in the world at that.

Dalewyn 4y ago

I reflected on this once before[1], but basically I've seen Japan design great things only for them to fail on execution time and time again. I'm sick and tired of them at this point, so I simply refuse to hold my breath on anything coming from Japan until I see it in action. [1]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34803445 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34803445

mulmen 4y ago
By any economic measure Japan is an advanced productive nation. Like top five in the world. At the same time they have maintained a high quality of life over decades and a unique culture.
- Dalewyn 4y ago
  That is tangent to whether Japan can bring projects to fruition. The recent termination of the Mitsubishi Regional Jet is a perfect example (among many others) of what I'm sick and tired about with Japan: Lots of bold claims to start, absolute failure when time comes to execute.
  - mulmen 4y ago
    Seems like cherry (or is that lemon?) picking. The United States has failed projects too, as do all advanced economies. There’s no way Japan got where it is today if they can’t execute.
- astrange 4y ago
  The private sector in Japan is not especially productive and definitely has trends of choosing unworkable gadget ideas that nobody outside the country would ever care about. A fusion reactor that doesn't work is a sort of big Galapagos phone.
  - mulmen 4y ago
    Japan is the 4th largest exporter in the world. At that level big gambles are responsible bets. Japan already has an established industrial and economic base. They can afford to experiment. At their scale failures come for free and still have positive value.
wolverine876 4y ago
> I've seen Japan design great things only for them to fail on execution time and time again. Is there a country more renowned for engineering than Japan? Maybe Germany?
- Dalewyn 4y ago
  The United States of America. Yes, I'm being 100% objectively serious.
  - 77pt77 4y ago
    The infrastructure since disproves your claim. You are in for a very rude awakening in the next few years.
    - Dalewyn 4y ago
      The United States of America is host to: * The forefront of IT engineering (Intel, AMD, Nvidia, IBM, Texas Instruments, Qualcomm, Micron, Microsoft, Apple, Google, Seagate, Western Digital, Cisco, etc.). * The forefront of aeronautics and space engineering (Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, General Electric, General Dynamics, Honeywell, SpaceX, etc.). * The forefront of higher education for engineering (MIT, Caltech, etc.). * The forefront of new engineering research and development (NASA, DARPA, the National Laboratories, National Science Foundation, etc.). * Leaders in medical engineering (Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, etc.). * The most powerful and capable military in the world, made possible by the vast above-mentioned engineering base and more. You're more than likely reading and posting on HN using technologies engineered, either in whole or in part, by Americans. You're welcome. As regards infrastructure upkeep, even Japan is suffering from insufficient upkeep of infrastructure to the point of crumbling; they simply aren't as infamous for them as America is.
      - _0ffh 4y ago
        I am sure none would claim that the US has not produced great things, but in an economy of world wide trade, even the US is very much dependent on foreign products. Just for one high tech example, the most sophisticated chips in the computer you use (whether desktop, laptop or phone) are almost certainly produced in Taiwan, who in turn rely on high tech manufacturing equipment from Europe. You're welcome, too! Isn't international trade a great thing?
Jensson 4y ago
But Japan makes 45% of the worlds industrial robots. https://ifr.org/ifr-press-releases/news/japan-is-worlds-number-one-robot-maker https://ifr.org/ifr-press-releases/news/japan-is-worlds-numb... So even though they fail at some things, Japan is absolutely an engineering powerhouse, and a key part of our current industrialized world. So for a project requiring a ton of advanced robotics or industrial systems I'd put Japan being involved as a plus, they are the best in the world at that.