Mahmoud Ahmad
ONE of my long-cherished dreams ever since I was a child was to visit Japan. Not because the place was exotic and vast, but because during my generation it embodied a spirit and courage that enabled it to rise like a phoenix from the ashes of the twin atomic bombs ever dropped on a country. And it drew on its culture, innovativeness and hard work to emerge from the ravages of the World War II to become an economic superpower.
During my childhood days, I not only learnt, but literally saw, the transformation a determined set of people can bring about. I was taught that Japan rebuilt itself systematically and productively and became a Twentieth Century wonder for all nations to view. And in reality, while I was taught in school about the emerging power, I saw the transformation happening in front of my eyes.
And as Japan came into our homes in the eighties and nineties with affordable and niche consumer products, more and more eyes turned toward this tiny country that was slowly and surely turning into a veritable economic giant. It was during these growing years that I had always had a yen to visit this Far Eastern nation — at least once in my lifetime.
The dream of visiting Japan came true this week, when I was invited by Toyota Motors to visit a Toyota factory in Nagoya and meet with top officials in Tokyo. To say I was excited to visit this country would be an understatement. Not only was my mind already attuned to the Japanese ethics and hard work, I always had great respect for the country that is among the top industrial countries that dominated and changed the world.
There was so much to discover in Japan but very little time to do so. One of the many positive observations that a person coming to Japan quickly makes is the friendly environment at the airport and in the city. What a treat it is to watch them make the tourists feel at ease. We have been praying to Allah that any guest arriving in the Kingdom will be greeted with a smile, which in most cases never happens. It is known that the airport and the people you meet there provide the nation’s first impression and it should be friendly. And it is this gate that was opened in the most-friendly manner for me. At their passport and custom departments I was greeted by a big smile, which is the Japanese culture, and it does not need much exercise.
As I was waiting outside the airport, I noticed how foreigners were greeted when they arrive, whether by friends, Japanese colleagues or by their tour companies. It is always with a big smile and great respect. Just before leaving the airport building, the impression I had of Japan, before arrival, that it is a nation full of people with great respect, awareness and hospitality and a country that is extremely clean, was greatly reinforced. To top it all, I saw people dealing with others honestly, courteously and exuding great manners in every aspect of life. My impressions were only greatly enhanced, when in the three cities I visited in Japan, I met with ordinary people and officials and was shown such consideration and grace on every occasion.
I met a Japanese citizen and asked him what was the secret behind the Japanese dedication to work and whether there is something that needs to be done to develop that dedication? He looked at me strangely as if he did not understand my question, because in his mind, this is something that goes without saying. He finally answered saying "when you work, you participate in the development of the country. If you love your country, you will continue to work hard and do your best."
I took a moment to reflect and then remembered the statistics issued last year where about 60 percent of workers in government department in the Kingdom do not complete their working hours and leave early. He then told me something stranger that they consider a person taking long vacation as a lazy person.
Visiting a Land Cruiser Toyota factory in Nagoya and walking inside the plant, I noticed how dedicated the workers were while doing their job. They were working like a bee and in my opinion, they did not need a supervisor to watch over them because there is no way anyone will fall behind in their work or shirk work. There was total dedication in action, which was responded in kind by the management by applying great safety measures so that no worker should fear for their safety.
One other thing I noticed when I was visiting a Toyota Museum was that young students were visiting the museum as part of school trips. There they see various machines and learn about them and how they were produced, and one of the teachers told me that the aim of getting students to frequent this place is to strengthen the value of hard work in their hearts. I could see the excitement in the eyes of these young children looking at the past and latest inventions and deciding in their mind that they too would want to grow up such that they could participate in creating such technologies and become their nation’s pride.
I immediately thought, how come we do not organize such trips for our children? Then I remembered we do not have such inventions or place to show our young generation. But, I thought, it would be worth the trip to send some of our students abroad to see these types of places and influence them positively.
There is one thing I need to mention here is that during the trip, there was a top Japanese company official with the group. During the whole visit he made us feel his equal, though he was one of the senior most and top officials at the company. The reason, we felt, was because he was modest just like everyone else at his level.
I, however, asked him what was the secret behind the top class and warm hospitality that was not only given to us but to nearly all other guests, and his answer was that “We treat our guests as if it is the last time we will see him/her and therefore we give them our best treatment.”
Another unique point that I believe has contributed much to Japan’s success story is that although there is a hierarchy in management but it is never felt when it comes to working toward a common goal. I was told that a small level employee can book an appointment with any manager, and he has the power to choose the time and place and the manager must comply. It is such a culture that we need to adapt here. Only if we acquire such mentality toward work, then we will develop.
— The writer can be reached at mahmad@saudigazette.com.sa. Twitter: @anajeddawi_eng
