Learn From The Industreous Japanese

Japan does not have much natural resources, but it has one commodity in abundance: money. It is the world's biggest aid donor. It is one of the world's biggest foreign investors.

How did this happen to a country that was devastated after the second world war, its old military might demolished, and its citizens had struggled to get up on their feet?

The Japanese are a resilient people. After their defeat in the second world war in 1945, they shifted their focus from miltary expansion and the government and the industry was united to build the nation. The Japanese companies adopted the "best practice" methods to improve productivity and enhance performance. They imported raw materials and used them to manufacture world class products which were exported out.

Now The Land Of The Rising Sun is winning back its old colonies whose memories are fading of the past brutal occupation, purely by economic means.

Observe how Tokyo works and you begin to to realize the collosal work that has brought about this massive transformation of a country in ashes to one that is towering above the rest of the world, holding its own in economic might. Tokyo is the seat of the government, business and finance, communication and culture.

Tokyo is one the most congested cities of the world. Millions of commuters take the trains daily but their train stations are kept whistle-clean. White collar workers abuzz the city throughout the 6-day work week.

Here is what I think we can learn from the Japanese.

Japan is a small country and after their defeat in the second world war, there was bitter acrimony among the people. There was suffering and regret among its citizens. But they pulled together, geared the economy for export and worked hard.Today they have become a prosperous nation and are sharing their prosperity with other nations. Their traditions and work ethics have stood good through trying times. Community interest above individual motivation seems to have propelled Japan sky high, this time not dominating militarily but economically.