About 2010 at a social event, I had occasion to talk with an executive of one of the JR companies (forget exactly which one). He told me he studied abroad in the 1960s and at that time most of his peers at the then "JNR" really wanted to study overseas. As of 2010, however, he told me JR employees who are offered a chance to study overseas at JR expense frequently decline the offer. He said this was puzzling and troubling to him.
It's really unfortunate to hear, and I've heard many similar tales. A friend I met in Thailand mentioned he was the only one in his Japanese trading company who wanted the role. The saddest part? Most of his colleagues were in their 20s, and the benefits were amazing: a free apartment, a company car, a housekeeper, and a monthly trip to Japan to see his family. Can you believe it? The Japanese youth are so scared of leaving Japan that they'll turn down all of this, missing out on the adventure of living abroad just to stay in a Japanese company with very low career prospects...
That's intriguing! When I first visited Japan in 1981, EVERYBODY in Japan wanted to travel overseas and also wanted to live overseas. This new attitude among Japanese towards living overseas might be part of a repeating cultural cycle as you alluded to in your article or perhaps motivated by fears about job security. Ed Shaw
While I applaud you for speaking the truth and sharing this shocking state of affairs, it is a very disappointing report. Nothing good will come of it. Japanese employers struggling to take advantage of opportunities abroad (e.g., the rapidly expanding Indian market) simply cannot find enough homegrown talent. You have touched on part of the problem. Of course, non-Japanese human talent with exceptional communication skills can fill the gap, but this cannot be the only solution. Curiously, some of the most talented younger Japanese business people I have met have virtually all had some experience abroad.
You are absolutely correct. I accidentally pushed out an older version of the article to my mailing list which didn't reflect the fact that I was exclusively talking about Japan's youth. In terms of the country's political policies, I 100% think that Japan has never been more open.
There are a lot of structural things universities can do to make it easier for students to study abroad, like moving towards a quarter system rather than semesters, which would give students more flexibility, especially considering how the Japanese academic calendar doesn’t mesh well with those of many other countries.
About 2010 at a social event, I had occasion to talk with an executive of one of the JR companies (forget exactly which one). He told me he studied abroad in the 1960s and at that time most of his peers at the then "JNR" really wanted to study overseas. As of 2010, however, he told me JR employees who are offered a chance to study overseas at JR expense frequently decline the offer. He said this was puzzling and troubling to him.
It's really unfortunate to hear, and I've heard many similar tales. A friend I met in Thailand mentioned he was the only one in his Japanese trading company who wanted the role. The saddest part? Most of his colleagues were in their 20s, and the benefits were amazing: a free apartment, a company car, a housekeeper, and a monthly trip to Japan to see his family. Can you believe it? The Japanese youth are so scared of leaving Japan that they'll turn down all of this, missing out on the adventure of living abroad just to stay in a Japanese company with very low career prospects...
That's intriguing! When I first visited Japan in 1981, EVERYBODY in Japan wanted to travel overseas and also wanted to live overseas. This new attitude among Japanese towards living overseas might be part of a repeating cultural cycle as you alluded to in your article or perhaps motivated by fears about job security. Ed Shaw
While I applaud you for speaking the truth and sharing this shocking state of affairs, it is a very disappointing report. Nothing good will come of it. Japanese employers struggling to take advantage of opportunities abroad (e.g., the rapidly expanding Indian market) simply cannot find enough homegrown talent. You have touched on part of the problem. Of course, non-Japanese human talent with exceptional communication skills can fill the gap, but this cannot be the only solution. Curiously, some of the most talented younger Japanese business people I have met have virtually all had some experience abroad.
It seems really irrational to suggest that Japan is experiencing a new Sakoku when it is also experiencing record tourism and record immigration.
You are absolutely correct. I accidentally pushed out an older version of the article to my mailing list which didn't reflect the fact that I was exclusively talking about Japan's youth. In terms of the country's political policies, I 100% think that Japan has never been more open.
And a huge new wave of foreign capital and hugely successful cultural exports.
There are a lot of structural things universities can do to make it easier for students to study abroad, like moving towards a quarter system rather than semesters, which would give students more flexibility, especially considering how the Japanese academic calendar doesn’t mesh well with those of many other countries.