I’m writing this from Tokyo, nearing the tail-end of a month here in Japan. One of the things you quickly notice when you spend time in Japan is the way things just work here. The trains are on time, your Uber Eats order arrives in good condition, the line for train tickets moves quickly and orderly, and there is no litter on the street. The quality of service you receive at convenience stores is on par with five-star hotel service in North America.
There is an incredible dedication to doing your work well that runs through all levels of jobs here. The result of this is things that are unimaginable in Canada, the US, or Mexico. Day after day thousands of trains run and they show up and leave exactly on time. That is the result of thousands of people from janitors to conductors, to mechanics, to corporate officers doing their job well and upholding a high standard.
When you go to American chain restaurants like McDonalds, KFC, or Starbucks you are confronted by pleasant and high-quality service and food. The spaces are clean, the employees friendly, and you can tell that people are using their brains and working hard to do a good job.
As an outside observer, you get the sense that people here care about holding themselves and others to a high standard. They care about doing the right thing when no one is watching. They care about doing their best to solve a problem instead of just doing what they are told.
It leads you to think about why they are like that and why people are not like that so often in other countries. In Mexico, I’ve met some of the hardest-working people imaginable. But I’ve also met many extremely unreliable and lazy people. I use the concept of dud energy to describe some of the people you run into and in Mexico there is a lot of dud energy that takes away from the hard-working, smart, and honorable people that keep things working.
In Canada, you get the sense that life used to be a lot more like Japan. That in the Canada of 60 years ago you might have been able to leave your bike unlocked in a big city like they do today in Tokyo. Or that you could expect a dedicated work ethic or honor from employees in at gas stations, restaurants, or government offices.
I think we take for granted how fragile and historically unique the societies we live in today are. There are supported and functioning based on the character, intelligence, and effort of individuals. Like Atlas carrying the world on his back, the high-quality entrepreneurs and employees carry the duds of society and make things work.
In Japan, you see everyone doing their part, contributing, and working with a dedication to their craft. And as a result, you see beautiful spaces, art, parks, bullet trains, zen gardens, and high-quality sushi at convenience stores. There isn’t garbage on the streets, shit and needles in alleys, tent cities riddled by crime, and dirty restaurants.
It makes you wonder if this is something we once had and lost. Is it something we are capable of? Is it something that we can achieve once again?
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