This Is Japan
The mantra to repeat when facing obstacles, navigating the nooks and crannies of the ancient system of Japan.
Use the philosophy of ichi go ichi e.
It is always best, to take each encounter as an extraordinary moment in time, regardless of the tone, timbre, or hue, contained within the encounter.
When the inevitable frustration wells up when confronted with unfamiliarity, and uncomfortableness and one needs to “change things” is where this mantra comes in very handy.
This Is Japan
As one figured out along the way, encountering breathtaking bureaucracy and red tape, stress is a choice.
The endless requests of faceless bureaucrats, to present pointless papers to be approved by surly and vacuous bureaucrats, who have to yet conjure up an original thought, or a novel idea.
This is a Universal Truth, valid through the multiverse, wherever bureaucrats are encountered.
The protocol of “This Is Japan” needs to kick in.
Put on a mile-wide smile while bowing deeply, and know inside the nooks and crannies of your own soul:
The only available explanation of abject institutionalized piffle in which the only, yet bad explanation could be:
This Is Japan
Why are things done a certain way, and why is it necessary for several salaried clerks stamp their personal seals onto mundane documents before being allowed to proceed to the next corporate step.
One will never be able to know for sure, so repeat:
This Is Japan
Over the years one has observed Occidentals Anglophones coming to Japan with an attitude that they can, change Japan.
These naive children do not last very long, and this immature and objectionable attitude toward the Japanese and our society soon wear extremely thin, with the ordinary citizens of Japan and the residents.
Sure, make one own important voice heard at the local PTA meeting, or perhaps making a suggestion for improvement in the community garbage disposal protocols, is surely in order.
For certain, these are examples of valuable contribution to one’s own community, facilitating necessary and positive changes for the future of Japan, and these constructive suggestions should always be encouraged to maintain chitsujo in our society.
One also must always seek to make progress in one’s own sphere of influence, and accept all things beyoned one’s own control.
For example, equality is a noble concept, but one that does not exist inside the psyche of the Japanese for we live in a tate shakai (vertical society), and (mostly) everyone, knows their role and place in society.
This Is Japan
Moreover, in the Japanese mind, there is nothing equal about men and women.
Each has their respective roles in Japanese society, and this is a fact, the Japanese would never find a reason to think about. nor to entertain such a a nonsensical notion such as thing to even be considered.
Why do the Japanese think like this?
This Is Japan
We live in a harmonious society, distinctly because the Japanese are formulated from the very beginning of their lives to live in the real world of the mask, face, and role, all dependent upon the place in society from where one came.
For even the Japanese are somewhat mystified, by some of the ancient protocols guiding the Japanese society, into the future for no other reason other than:
This Is Japan
