In October 1929, a worldwide panic erupted, set off by the New York stock market crash. This was the celebrated Black Tuesday. In Japan alone, many banks went under and businesses collapsed one after the other, or were forced to shut down factories or lay off workers. The unemployed filled the streets. Panasonic (Matsushita Electric at the time) was no exception. Unable to sell product, its inventory turned into a mountain. At that point, the top management counseled president Konosuke Matsushita to weather the hard times by laying off half of his employees. Considering the circumstances, it was a justifiable suggestion.
But, Konosuke Matsushita responded like this. "I'll cut production in half, but I won't reduce employees or salaries. Instead, I'll have all employees give up their holidays to do their utmost to sell some inventory." Hearing this, employees who had been afraid of losing their jobs were jubilant, and an atmosphere of solidarity grew within the company. As a result, just two months later the inventory was cleared and the company had recovered to the point where the factory had to resume full time production. Today Panasonic has become a major corporation and home to 300,000 employees worldwide.
As the world economy cries out for help these past few months, layoffs are taking place as a matter of course. Just like a deja vu of the world panic. Many companies and academics say complacently, "Business does not exist for the purpose of employing people." They certainly have a point since this is a capitalist society. Their idea is based on the perception that labor costs are not fixed costs but variable expenses. People are something that you obtain as cheaply as possible and only when you need them. Some companies only have employees that are like cheap disposable gears. Other companies only have employees that work with an energetic goodwill, each one for the good of the company and the good of the customer. I wonder which one will succeed.
Businesses that do not care about their employees cannot be expected to care about their customers. That is because management is an activity performed by people for the purpose of making people happy.
[PHP Global e-Forum Editorial Office]
PHP Research Institute
http://www.globaleforum.com/en/index.jsp
Monday, June 29, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Downsized Indulgences
The July issue of Japan CLOSE-UP has been published.
Japan CLOSE-UP is an English-language monthly magazine bringing you the latest news on Japanese business, products, culture, society, trends, and people.
One of featured articles on the issue is "Downsized Indulgences: Consumers Savor Small Pleasures amid Economic Crisis."
Japanese consumers are used to hard times. During World War II the Japanese government propagated the slogan, "Luxury is an enemy." The selling of fancy goods was banned. Inconspicuous consumption was a trend. Now the trend seems to come back. Unlike the situation in the United States, they do not feel as if a mountain has suddenly fallen on them. They are somewhat inured to the pain of austerity and were better prepared psychologically for the shock following the stock market crash that began in October 2008. Let's look at the new Japanese consumer trend closely in the current global recession.
Read more
http://www.export-japan.com/jcu/sample/index.php
[PHP Global e-Forum Editorial Office]
PHP Research Institute
http://www.globaleforum.com/en/index.jsp
Japan CLOSE-UP is an English-language monthly magazine bringing you the latest news on Japanese business, products, culture, society, trends, and people.
One of featured articles on the issue is "Downsized Indulgences: Consumers Savor Small Pleasures amid Economic Crisis."
Japanese consumers are used to hard times. During World War II the Japanese government propagated the slogan, "Luxury is an enemy." The selling of fancy goods was banned. Inconspicuous consumption was a trend. Now the trend seems to come back. Unlike the situation in the United States, they do not feel as if a mountain has suddenly fallen on them. They are somewhat inured to the pain of austerity and were better prepared psychologically for the shock following the stock market crash that began in October 2008. Let's look at the new Japanese consumer trend closely in the current global recession.
Read more
http://www.export-japan.com/jcu/sample/index.php
[PHP Global e-Forum Editorial Office]
PHP Research Institute
http://www.globaleforum.com/en/index.jsp
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Security of Prime Minister's Official Residence
Today's Yomiuri, a Japanese newspapers, revealed on its web that one of staff members dispatched by the Akasaka Prince Hotel (currently, Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka), that had been in charge of the service of the dinner party for President Ali Abdullah Saleh of Republic of Yemen at the Prime Minister's Official Residence in November 2005, had been into the Official Residence setting him/herself up as a different person.
The staff member presented a fabricated ID card before the Official Residence's employees. He or she was allowed to enter there undoubtedly. Staff members' names for services in the Residence are supposed to be registered beforehand. A manager of the Akasaka Price Hotel came to know that the staff member dispatched by a temporary-employment company was another person on that day. The hotel manager decided to change a picture on the ID card without changing his or her name.
The Hotel said, All we could do was to inform a change of a staff member to the Official Residence. The manager didn't know that. We deeply apologize.
Today, Mr. Kawamura, Chief Cabinet Secretary told that he had received the report from the hotel in August 2007. It is deeply regrettable that a hotel which has had satisfactory performances for serving foreign VIPs did a very disappointed act, he added.
Oh, scary.
How about a security system of the Prime Minster's Residential Office?
[PHP Global e-Forum Editorial Office]
PHP Research Institute
http://www.globaleforum.com/en/index.jsp
The staff member presented a fabricated ID card before the Official Residence's employees. He or she was allowed to enter there undoubtedly. Staff members' names for services in the Residence are supposed to be registered beforehand. A manager of the Akasaka Price Hotel came to know that the staff member dispatched by a temporary-employment company was another person on that day. The hotel manager decided to change a picture on the ID card without changing his or her name.
The Hotel said, All we could do was to inform a change of a staff member to the Official Residence. The manager didn't know that. We deeply apologize.
Today, Mr. Kawamura, Chief Cabinet Secretary told that he had received the report from the hotel in August 2007. It is deeply regrettable that a hotel which has had satisfactory performances for serving foreign VIPs did a very disappointed act, he added.
Oh, scary.
How about a security system of the Prime Minster's Residential Office?
[PHP Global e-Forum Editorial Office]
PHP Research Institute
http://www.globaleforum.com/en/index.jsp
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Considering from Food Safety
Maybe it's my age, but in recent years the idea of eating has become a concern.
Calorie count, vitamins, minerals, food combinations, drinks, and dessert…. I'm not talking about food quantity or quality or direct matters like that. I'm talking about things like, how are we going to increase Japan's rate of food self-sufficiency which has fallen below 40%? Even though there are so many people suffering from famine in the world today, one day's leftovers in Tokyo alone is enough to provide 500,000 meals. What a waste! The situation seems absurd.
Since none other than the Michelin Guide considers Tokyo to be the culinary capital of the world, it seems there'll be no end to the overeating and gluttony. Food and diet impact not only the physical energy and health of our children but also their spiritual health. Educating them about proper diet is essential. If I start worrying about food I can't stop.
What worries me the most is food safety. There has been a string of incidents of contaminated rice and vegetables, falsification of expiration dates, concealment of origin and ingredients. I would hope that these people who think only about making money would never again be engaged in work that had anything to do with human lives. They should probably be severely punished. They have never been remotely concerned with serving people or society.
Regarding these issues, we consumers must defend ourselves, and not leave it up to others to do so.
That said, though we are able to act calmly and preemptively when we can foresee the nature and location of the danger, as with obesity, accidents, overwork, etc., when we don't know what is dangerous, or are uncertain as to when and where the danger could occur, we easily slip into panic mode.
Food is the same way, and disappearing pensions and bad financial products like securitized subprime loans are the same as well. In a practical sense, there is no way to defend ourselves but to eat only foods that are made by someone whose face we know, and to stay away from "virtual" goods.
In a way, these are all man-made problems. If manufacturers and businesspeople would just do their job honestly, in service of people and society, most of this would not have occurred.
If you don't work in a way that makes other people happy, there is no point in working at all. There is no job in this world that needs to make people unhappy, or dead.
[PHP Global e-Forum Editorial Office]
http://www.globaleforum.com/en/index.jsp
Calorie count, vitamins, minerals, food combinations, drinks, and dessert…. I'm not talking about food quantity or quality or direct matters like that. I'm talking about things like, how are we going to increase Japan's rate of food self-sufficiency which has fallen below 40%? Even though there are so many people suffering from famine in the world today, one day's leftovers in Tokyo alone is enough to provide 500,000 meals. What a waste! The situation seems absurd.
Since none other than the Michelin Guide considers Tokyo to be the culinary capital of the world, it seems there'll be no end to the overeating and gluttony. Food and diet impact not only the physical energy and health of our children but also their spiritual health. Educating them about proper diet is essential. If I start worrying about food I can't stop.
What worries me the most is food safety. There has been a string of incidents of contaminated rice and vegetables, falsification of expiration dates, concealment of origin and ingredients. I would hope that these people who think only about making money would never again be engaged in work that had anything to do with human lives. They should probably be severely punished. They have never been remotely concerned with serving people or society.
Regarding these issues, we consumers must defend ourselves, and not leave it up to others to do so.
That said, though we are able to act calmly and preemptively when we can foresee the nature and location of the danger, as with obesity, accidents, overwork, etc., when we don't know what is dangerous, or are uncertain as to when and where the danger could occur, we easily slip into panic mode.
Food is the same way, and disappearing pensions and bad financial products like securitized subprime loans are the same as well. In a practical sense, there is no way to defend ourselves but to eat only foods that are made by someone whose face we know, and to stay away from "virtual" goods.
In a way, these are all man-made problems. If manufacturers and businesspeople would just do their job honestly, in service of people and society, most of this would not have occurred.
If you don't work in a way that makes other people happy, there is no point in working at all. There is no job in this world that needs to make people unhappy, or dead.
[PHP Global e-Forum Editorial Office]
http://www.globaleforum.com/en/index.jsp
Monday, June 15, 2009
Candidate & Cheering-Up Party
The prime minister will call general election or House of Representatives election within coming a couple of months. Candidates and incumbents need campaign fund. So, they will have a plan to hold a party to collect campaign fund.
I have recently received letters to encourage me to participate in the party from them. A participation fee is generally 20,000 yen or about $200.
It is usual to call the party, Hagemasu-Kai. Hagemasu means “encourage” or “cheer up.” Kai is “gathering” or “party.”
My son found the letters and looked at the title. Then, he said to me, “Is this person depressed? So, cheer him up?”
I laughed. “Well, you are right. To encourage.” I replied. But, with low-spirited, people can not run.
[PHP Global e-Forum Editorial Office]
http://www.globaleforum.com/en/index.jsp
I have recently received letters to encourage me to participate in the party from them. A participation fee is generally 20,000 yen or about $200.
It is usual to call the party, Hagemasu-Kai. Hagemasu means “encourage” or “cheer up.” Kai is “gathering” or “party.”
My son found the letters and looked at the title. Then, he said to me, “Is this person depressed? So, cheer him up?”
I laughed. “Well, you are right. To encourage.” I replied. But, with low-spirited, people can not run.
[PHP Global e-Forum Editorial Office]
http://www.globaleforum.com/en/index.jsp
Friday, June 5, 2009
GEF Next Issue Is about "Speculative Money"
Next issue is "How far should speculative money be allowed to go?"
Experts who comments on the issue are as of today:
Experts who comments on the issue are as of today:
- Dr. Mohammed Abu Arida (CEO of The Qatar National Bank- Syria）
- Dr. Mark Blyth (Professor of International Political Economy in the Department of Political Science at Brown University)
- Sir Howard Davies (Director of the London School of Economics and Political Science)
- Dr. Jayati Ghosh (Professor of Economics at the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University)
- Mr. George Hara (Group Chairman and CEO, DEFTA Partners Group)
- Mr. Raita Sakai (CEO of the Multilateral Investment Development Corporation: MIDC Group)
- Dr. Gun Setu (Associate Professor of Faculty of Economics at Nagasaki University)
- Ms. Anne Stausboll (CEO of the California Public Employees’ Retirement System: CalPERS)
The issue and comments will be posted on June 8, next Monday Japan time.
[PHP Global e-Forum Editorial Office]
http://www.globaleforum.com/en/index.jsp
Monday, June 1, 2009
True "Kandou"
Some people are moved, to a surprising degree, by what seems the slightest thing. Someone I work with, Ms. S, is one of those people. On the other hand, there are those who cannot be moved, even if they want to be moved. That would be me. What makes us react so differently? They say atsui or hot people (namely enthusiastic people) or those society regards as "innocents" tend to be easily moved, while those seen as "cold" or sophisticated are not, but there must be more to it than that.
The dictionary defines kandou (emotion, impression) thusly: the emotions or heart are moved. Certainly on a day-to-day basis my emotions are moved, but it seems to be a mostly negative way, like anger or dissatisfaction, or envy. However I certainly have plenty to feel light-hearted and happy about.
Einstein said, "He to whom emotion is a stranger is as good as dead." So does that mean people who are difficult to be moved emotionally are already dead? Maybe because there are so many of us, but there are more and more businesses that try to sell kandou as a product, like Kandou Moving Center, Kandou Gift, Kandou House. Same with TV programs. Every episode the announcer is somehow moved to tears. This over-exposure leaves me more unmoved than ever. At the least, being moved is an extremely personal emotion, so it should remain an intransitive verb, and not be used as a transitive verb, as if you could give such an emotion to anyone but yourself. But out in the world, the expression "kandou-ryoku" or "power to be moved" seems to be becoming a necessary business skill, and even a competency.
It's said that all who crossed paths with the venerable Konosuke Matsushita were moved. Once when Matsushita was on the bullet train, a man seated nearby wanted to speak with the great man, and as a way to break the ice, gave Matsushita a tangerine as a snack. When Matsushita got off the train at his station, he bowed deeply from outside the train in thanks to the man still inside, and stayed bowing until the train was out of sight. The man was so deeply impressed by this behavior that as soon as he got home he had every appliance in his home and business replaced with a Panasonic model. Konosuke Matsushita did not try to "move" this man purposely, but just connected with him in a completely natural way. Isn't the idea of "kandou" more something like this?
First off, so as not to forget how it feels to be moved, let's watch a mushy movie and make sure we can still cry, even if we have to fake the tears.
[PHP Global e-Forum Editorial Office]
http://www.globaleforum.com/en/index.jsp
The dictionary defines kandou (emotion, impression) thusly: the emotions or heart are moved. Certainly on a day-to-day basis my emotions are moved, but it seems to be a mostly negative way, like anger or dissatisfaction, or envy. However I certainly have plenty to feel light-hearted and happy about.
Einstein said, "He to whom emotion is a stranger is as good as dead." So does that mean people who are difficult to be moved emotionally are already dead? Maybe because there are so many of us, but there are more and more businesses that try to sell kandou as a product, like Kandou Moving Center, Kandou Gift, Kandou House. Same with TV programs. Every episode the announcer is somehow moved to tears. This over-exposure leaves me more unmoved than ever. At the least, being moved is an extremely personal emotion, so it should remain an intransitive verb, and not be used as a transitive verb, as if you could give such an emotion to anyone but yourself. But out in the world, the expression "kandou-ryoku" or "power to be moved" seems to be becoming a necessary business skill, and even a competency.
It's said that all who crossed paths with the venerable Konosuke Matsushita were moved. Once when Matsushita was on the bullet train, a man seated nearby wanted to speak with the great man, and as a way to break the ice, gave Matsushita a tangerine as a snack. When Matsushita got off the train at his station, he bowed deeply from outside the train in thanks to the man still inside, and stayed bowing until the train was out of sight. The man was so deeply impressed by this behavior that as soon as he got home he had every appliance in his home and business replaced with a Panasonic model. Konosuke Matsushita did not try to "move" this man purposely, but just connected with him in a completely natural way. Isn't the idea of "kandou" more something like this?
First off, so as not to forget how it feels to be moved, let's watch a mushy movie and make sure we can still cry, even if we have to fake the tears.
[PHP Global e-Forum Editorial Office]
http://www.globaleforum.com/en/index.jsp
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