An emergency meeting was held. The class presidents and vice-presidents were told to gather. From our homeroom, Panda, our class president, known for his bushy eyebrows and thick and long eyelashes, the smartest boy in the class, and I the vice-president attended. Asked what we were going to do about what our class did, Panda said, "I take responsibility. I will resign."
"No, stupid," and I really did call him that, "you're not going to resign." I then said to the three teachers, "We will stay on. We will fix this. We'll take responsibility, but we're not resigning."
I had no idea what I meant when I said Panda and I would "fix" this, but I thought falling on his sword, committing modern-day seppuku was the stupidest thing he could do. Why was he running away? You don't resign. You fix your mistakes. You stay and fight. Right?
I didn't know then Panda was doing exactly what was expected of him, Japanese-style. He was supposed to resign. As was I. Many years later, I understand why I was wrong back then, but I still stand by my statement. I don't agree with modern-day seppuku, based on ritual disembowlment, acts of complete loyalty to one's master and sacrificing life in the act of ultimate contrition. This is how Japan apologizes. This is how Japanese take responsibility.
Which is why there have been sixteen prime ministers in the past 23 years. Which is why heads of corporations, when caught in a scandal, hold a press conference, table at the front, and when the time comes, rise and bow their heads, camera shutters clicking away furiously. They apologize. They resign. It's done. This is modern-day seppuku.
I used to tell my employees I needed them to be really good at what they did. But, I needed their skills to be 70% of what they put out there, and the remaining 30% had to be what they projected about themselves. Long ago I learned you can be really good at what you do, but if you're not likable you won't get as much done as if you are nice and professional. Perception matters. It really matters. I will get so much more done playing nicely in the sandbox and operating at a high level than, say, someone who's a jerk but really good at what they do. Nice beats mean. It just does.
The perception over the Fukushima nuclear disaster is that there was a cover-up. People lied. TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Company, those who operate the nuclear plants) executives lied. Politicians lied. To what extent? About what? That will come out. Some investigative journalist somewhere will someday crack the story wide open, and heads will roll. Can anyone prove these lies? Can anyone prove there was no lying? Finding those answers is important, yes. The perception of lying, however, is the stain spreading all over Japan, its politicians, and those involved in the "cover-up" and this, this perception is what keeps people unconvinced, pessimistic, and distrustful. How did this happen? How did Japanese politicians and businessmen bungle this? Again?
Mr. Kiyoshi Kurokawa, Chairman of the Fukushima Nuclear Independent Investigative Commission has the answer. This is a quote from the introduction of the 646-page report submitted to the Japanese Diet by the Commission: "What must be admitted – very painfully – is that this was a disaster 'Made in Japan.' Its fundamental causes are to be found in the ingrained conventions of Japanese culture: our reflexive obedience; our reluctance to question authority; our devotion to ‘sticking with the program’; our groupism; and our insularity. Had other Japanese been in the shoes of those who bear responsibility for this accident, the result may well have been the same."(Bold text added by me.)
The lilac tree I planted near my walkway has exploded in size just this year. It's as if someone planted a magic ball of vitamins under the tree. When I was home in the spring, the tree bloomed with dark purple lilacs (what joy!) but the tree itself was the same size as last year. Eight weeks later this tree is huge. Why does this matter? Because horticultural math can't possibly convey accurately how much this lilac tree has grown. It's twice as tall, twice as wide, and twice as deep as it was last spring. I asked around. "How many times bigger is this tree now with those numbers?"
The answer, mathematically at least, is eight. The tree is eight times larger than it was two months ago. However correct this math might be, if I go around saying "My lilac tree is eight times bigger than it was just this past spring!" no one will believe me. Eight is the wrong number. People would believe that it's twice as tall, wider, and thicker. But, multiplying those numbers to get eight, then saying "it's eight times as big as it was before" sounds wrong. It's perception again. While I mean to be telling the truth, it really is eight times bigger, this doesn't sound right. That it doesn't sound right is the point. Perception just matters.
Modern-day seppuku doesn't sound or look right to those outside of Japan. It's hardly working in Japan. The revolving doors of new prime ministers is neither okay for Japan nor the rest of the world. The Fukushima problem, the problem of how Tohoku will recover, these need consistent leadership--one voice saying, "We will fix this." It's bad enough the problem is enormous. How Japan is perceived, by its own citizens as well as from those around the world is hanging in the balance. If something doesn't change now, not only might the country never recover, the perception we are left with will be forever that of apologies and resignations, empty acts that fix nothing.
No comments:
Post a Comment