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I've come to wonder if this just because the culture of Japan itself has been so "crabby". It's just too inward looking these days - probably why technical inn

I've come to wonder if this just because the culture of Japan itself has been so "crabby". It's just too inward looking these days - probably why technical innovations in Japan don't get shaped to meet the worlds needs, but gets sold as if it were a luxury artisan-product (ala "swiss-made" stuff). The trouble with people who criticize Japan (incl. Japanese) is that they think this is because of "old people & culture" - but actually, no, the "old" Japanese (in the 1900s-1980s) seemed to have been extraordinarily curious about the world, and also very clever in marketing things. The issue is most definitely "modern", but ofc. saying that is verboten in the dogma of liberalism.

numpad0 1y ago
You might be onto something. Anecdotally, I just came across some armchair economist lamenting lack of aptitude among Japanese startups for foreign currency acquisition, and I could only agree - I can't recall many Japanese startups or corporate business expansions primarily focusing on foreign sales. The mental model is always to get rich quick within Japan and/or South Asia and retire. "The world" outside is treated like tiny separate bonus rooms. Thinking about Japanese economy in general and how it hadn't grown in 30-40 years: 40 years is technically two generations, but life in Japan hadn't deteriorated meaningfully during that period. Substantial socio-political improvements were made, university entrance had rose somewhat absurdly high, some new infrastructures were built, convenience store sandwich prices hasn't doubled, overtimes and harassments at workplaces are way more strictly scrutinized. There's the problem of employment ice age, but it's not as bad as the collapse of the Soviet Union; not at "Vladimir Putin was laid off KGB and drove taxi to make ends meet" levels, only "PhDs drove trucks". So "Japan still using FAX" narratives only partially make sense. Overall, it does feel that there is something strange is going on in this country, something like effective isolationism. I guess my point is... it's unfortunate that these efforts and costs spent goes to waste, and we don't know why it's only built to be recycled.
pezezin 1y ago
> The trouble with people who criticize Japan (incl. Japanese) is that they think this is because of "old people & culture" - but actually, no, the "old" Japanese (in the 1900s-1980s) seemed to have been extraordinarily curious about the world, and also very clever in marketing things. The issue is most definitely "modern", but ofc. saying that is verboten in the dogma of liberalism. I have been living in Japan for the past 7 years, and in my experience all generations are guilty. I work for a big international research project, so I have met many old Japanese professors and high-level researchers. They all lament how their generation wanted to go abroad, see the world, and change things, whereas their new graduates don't even want to learn English, just stay in their little Japanese bubble and do what they are told to do. But for every one of those outgoing old Japanese people, you meet 10 who are dead set in their ways and don't want any change, and with the population getting older, the country has become stagnant.

numpad0 1y ago

You might be onto something. Anecdotally, I just came across some armchair economist lamenting lack of aptitude among Japanese startups for foreign currency acquisition, and I could only agree - I can't recall many Japanese startups or corporate business expansions primarily focusing on foreign sales. The mental model is always to get rich quick within Japan and/or South Asia and retire. "The world" outside is treated like tiny separate bonus rooms. Thinking about Japanese economy in general and how it hadn't grown in 30-40 years: 40 years is technically two generations, but life in Japan hadn't deteriorated meaningfully during that period. Substantial socio-political improvements were made, university entrance had rose somewhat absurdly high, some new infrastructures were built, convenience store sandwich prices hasn't doubled, overtimes and harassments at workplaces are way more strictly scrutinized. There's the problem of employment ice age, but it's not as bad as the collapse of the Soviet Union; not at "Vladimir Putin was laid off KGB and drove taxi to make ends meet" levels, only "PhDs drove trucks". So "Japan still using FAX" narratives only partially make sense. Overall, it does feel that there is something strange is going on in this country, something like effective isolationism. I guess my point is... it's unfortunate that these efforts and costs spent goes to waste, and we don't know why it's only built to be recycled.

pezezin 1y ago

> The trouble with people who criticize Japan (incl. Japanese) is that they think this is because of "old people & culture" - but actually, no, the "old" Japanese (in the 1900s-1980s) seemed to have been extraordinarily curious about the world, and also very clever in marketing things. The issue is most definitely "modern", but ofc. saying that is verboten in the dogma of liberalism. I have been living in Japan for the past 7 years, and in my experience all generations are guilty. I work for a big international research project, so I have met many old Japanese professors and high-level researchers. They all lament how their generation wanted to go abroad, see the world, and change things, whereas their new graduates don't even want to learn English, just stay in their little Japanese bubble and do what they are told to do. But for every one of those outgoing old Japanese people, you meet 10 who are dead set in their ways and don't want any change, and with the population getting older, the country has become stagnant.