JAPAN THROUGH THE EYES OF ANOOP/ RESHMA AND AARON

 

Anoop, Reshma and Aaron had been to Japan recently. They were amazed. Cleanliness was the order everywhere. People behaved well. They were polite. They were courteous. They were graceful. Bullet trains criss cross the country. Speed is the essence. You reach your destination in no time. 

While it took one and half hours to clear the immigration at Kuala Lumpur on their way back from Osaka for a brief visit to Malaysia, immigration process at Tokyo when they reached Japan was the fastest they had encountered in their  travels to destinations abroad. Look at how services differ from country to country.

While they were in Tokyo,they were surprised when they tried to cross a road. The vehicles stopped to enable them negotiate the  crossing with ease. (We had experienced similar civility when we were at Singapore and Dubai -  At Singapore pedestrians could even operate the traffic lights to enable them cross the roads)

The guides and the taxis were on time always.

The roads were clean despite the heavy traffic. There were no pot holes anywhere. 

The food was excellent. 

When they had conveyed so much on Japan, recently I came across an article in a newspaper on Japan

Sandeep Das puts up a pertinent question in the Times of India of 23 May 2026

"What if we behaved like the Japanese  -  Just Occasionally?"

He goes on, "Indian tourists find so many things amazing in Japan. Some we can and should bring back too."

He focusses on six Japanese micro - philosophies, which we can learn, and really improve our life.These philosophies shape their thinking. They help them lead an excellent quality of life. He believes we can also improve our lives adapting the Japanese micro habits.  Micro habits over a sustained period of time can result in great improvement. No great habit is formed overnight.

The six micro philosophies:

Kaizen

It's about continuous improvement. It's about overcoming negative habits. The application potential is boundless. For example, if you wish to pick up a reading habit, you start reading 5 pages for a week. Then you make it 6 pages next week. Gradually you grind your way up. 

Similarly if you wish to shed smoking when you smoke 10 cigarettes a day, you begin by cutting one cigarette for a week. then you shed 2. It goes on till you beat the habit.

Ichigo Ichie

This translates to 'one time, one meeting.' It means the current moment is unique, we should not lose it to thinking about the past or the future. For instance, let us slow down the pace of eating, enjoy every morsel of food. Reduce the portion size, chew a little more, feel the texture of our food. 

Practice active listening. Instead of thinking about how to respond to the other person, try to really, really understand what they are saying, and where they are coming from.

Shokunin

This is about a deep dedication to mastering your craft. It involves lifelong self improvement, in the pursuit of excellence. In Japan, regular people, barber, train ticket collector, garbage collector, everyone takes so much pride in their work, trying to do their jobs to the best of their abilities. They never view their jobs in a poor way..We have to believe that the most mundane task can deliver the most exquisite outcome.

Osewa

This is about acknowledging someone's efforts to look after you, conveying your appreciation and respect.It's the core reason why everyone in Japan is so polite. We can imbibe it by generously thanking the people we deal with - be it  the lift man, coconnut vendor, flight attendant or the domestic help.

A simple habit of smiling at the people you work with can go a long way. This is the principle of reciprocity. When you are nice to people, they will be nice to you. The ultimate is, being respectful and polite indeed has business benefits as well over the long run.

Ikigai

It's about identifying your purpose and being energised by it every morning. It makes a lot of difference in a world where every other person seems miserable at work. You have to find your own Ikigai. You find it by asking yourself some key questions. What are you good at? What do you love doing? What will the world pay money for? What does the world need? At the intersection of these questions is your Ikigai. 

Gaman

This is about building emotional resilience. Whatever Japan has been through as a society, its people are rarely bitter. It makes it explicit that while you are not in control of what life throws at you. you can control how you respond to it. It's nothing but controlling the controllables. It tells you not to say unpleasant things when you are angry and not to feel sorry for youself  when you hit a difficult stage in life. The philosophy pushes you to ask yourself how to respond to difficult situations. You have to accept that in life, good times give way to difficult times and difficult times give way to good time.

Anoop, Reshma and Aaron are in total agreement with Sandeep Das, on his observations on Japan.