宿谷睦夫訳　加藤方寅著「新日本人論」
“New Japanology”　 by Dr. Michinobu Kato

translator: Mutsuo Shukuya
auditor: Bruce Wyman
supervisor: Boye Lafayette De Mente

(Ⅶ) Analog Thinking vs. Digital Thinking
The advantages and disadvantages of the analog style of thinking
Some cases in which a disadvantage becomes an advantage

(2) The lack of interest Japanese have in becoming independent from their society has brought about the economic development of Japan

Japanese culture, in which people use diverse polite expressions and care for the feelings of in order not to hurt them, is a little bit different from that of Europe and America because of the analog way of thinking of the Japanese. They cannot make exact distinctions between themselves and others.
I found an essay, “The Heart of the Japanese Language,” which the famous linguist Haruhiko Kindaichi wrote in the monthly magazine, Bungei Shunjyu published in March 1999. In this article, the author discussed the fact that the Japanese seldom quibble about most things. Most Japanese use polite expressions in order to care for others’ feelings. The polite expressions most Japanese use naturally in their conversation seem to reflect their attitude to others-looking friendly and paying attention to others. They seem to have a sense of strong responsibility and noble morality.
I noted it as one of the disadvantages that Japanese are apt to hesitate to join religious sects. But this can also become an advantage from another point of view. While many local conflicts arise from religious troubles Japan maintains an exceptionally stable society. Even though Japan accepts many immigrants in the near future, they will seldom cause religious troubles and stability will be maintained.
The lack of interest Japanese have in becoming independent from their society has brought not only economic but also educational development of Japan.
One of the reasons why Japanese automobile industries have produced and developed such brilliant achievements over many decades is the high quality of workers. Most Japanese workers have completed senior high school. It seems clear that the educational level of their workers is very high. This has been brought about through the lack if independence of these workers from their society; they think their own sons should go to senior high school if their neighbor’s sons go there.
When the Meishin Express Way was first opened, we would often see persons opening the hoods of their made-in-Japan cars on the edge of this highway to cool off the engines, while cars made in the USA speeded on by.
But then in 1951 when the Korean conflict broke out the U.S. Forces in Japan ordered Japanese automobile companies to make jeeps. This sharp rise in demand brought about prompt development of the Japanese automobile industry.
In the following years the Japanese copycat-farmers trait contributed greatly to their buying cars. They felt compelled to buy them even when they had to borrow heavily from a bank, as they did when they bought pianos in earlier years.
Taking advantage of both the demand for cars in Japan and in the U.S. and in Europe, Japanese automobile companies made huge profits, allowing them to continue improving their vehicles, resulting in even more demand. No doubt, much of the rapid development of the Japanese automobile industry following World War II was based on the copycat syndrome. And they have caught up with and surpassed that of the USA.
No doubt the tendency of Japanese people to be extraordinarily diligent despite strong feelings of their jealousy, was surely the main power motivating this unexpected development.
These same cultural characteristics were responsible for the rapid industrialization of Japan in the 1870s and 80s, when it became a modern, nation with a powerful military force.		 第 7章　日本人固有の欠点が長所となる時
―アナログ思考の光と陰―
第 2節　隣百姓的無我が日本の発展に貢献

多様な敬語を持ち、相手の気分をできるだけ損なわないようきめ細かく配慮する文化は、相手と自分を重ねて考えるアナログ思考独特のもので、欧米文化には無いものです。
金田一春彦氏が、文芸春秋（1999年3月）に「日本語の心」という随筆を寄せておられます。論旨は、欧米人と異なり日本人は理屈を言わず、常に相手を慮り優しく対応する姿勢が自然にその言葉遣いに現れ、そこに日本人の強い責任感、勝れた道義感が読み取れるというものです。
日本人の欠点として、無宗教を揚げてきました。しかし、これも見方を変えると大きな長所になっているのです。現在、世界各地の地域紛争が宗教的対立に基づくものが多いことを考えれば、この点、日本は非常に安定した国と言えます。将来、日本が諸外国から多くの移民を受け入れるべき時が来たといたしましても、日本は宗教の点では問題の起こり難い安全な国と言えます。
日本人が自我の確立が弱く、隣百姓であることは、日本の教育、経済の発展に大きなプラスとして働いています。
日本の自動車産業が戦後短期間に成長し発展を遂げた大きな理由の一つに、工員の質の高いことが挙げられています。日本の工員は、少なくともそのほとんどが高等学校を卒業しています。他の国に比べて教育水準が明らかに高いと言えます。これも、隣百姓の原理によって、　隣が子供を高校へやるのであれば是非家でも」というわけで日本の進学率は高いわけです。
隣百姓の特性は、自動車購買力にも大きく貢献しました。一時のピアノブームと同じように、隣が車を買えば借金をしても日本人は車を買うわけです。当初はぼろ車でも、車を買う人が多ければ企業は儲かり、車の改良に投資できます。戦後の日本の自動車産業が短期間に成長出来たのも、一部にこのようなメカニズムに支えられていたことを否定することは出来ません。
名神高速道路が開通した当初（昭和40年頃）、高速道路の路肩で日本車がボンネットを開けて停車しているのを、よく見かけたものです。その側を米国車が、これ見よがしに高速で走りぬけていったものです。
その後、朝鮮動乱が勃発し、アメリカは軍用ジ－プの発注を日本に迫りました。その特需により日本の自動車産業は飛躍的に発展を遂げ、米国の自動車産業に追い付き、追い越してしまいました。これには、日本人が（嫉妬心が人一倍強いかわりに）勤勉であることも大きな原動力になっていると言っても間違いないでしょう。日本人特有の勤勉な性格も、「日本人が自我の確立が弱く、常に（神の目ではなく）他人の目を意識し、他人に遅れまいとして頑張る」という構図から生まれるものと言ってよいでしょう。
自我の確立が弱く隣百姓的性格という日本人の大きな欠点が、逆に、明治以降の日本の近代化と戦後の経済復興の大きな原動力になっているのです。


宿谷睦夫訳　加藤方寅著「新日本人論」
“New Japanology”　 by Dr. Michinobu Kato

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