＜prologue＞
I started a blog called “The Baby Boomer Generation’s Miscellaneous Blog”（Dankai-sedai no garakutatyou:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳） in July 2018, about a year before I fully retired. More than six years have passed since then, and the number of articles has increased considerably.
So, in order to make them accessible to people who don’t understand Japanese, I decided to translate my past articles into English and publish them.
It may sound a bit exaggerated, but I would like to make this my life’s work.
It should be noted that haiku and waka （Japanese short fixed form poems） are quite difficult to translate into English, so some parts are written in Japanese.
If you are interested in haiku or waka and would like to know more, please read introductory or specialized books on haiku or waka written in English.
I also write many articles about the Japanese language. I would be happy if these inspire more people to want to learn Japanese.
my blog’s URL:https://skawa68.com/
my X’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多帳（@historia49）さん / X
<Added on 2023/2/27> Reports say the US Department of Energy will determine whether the coronavirus “emitted from a Chinese laboratory”
The following was reported by Asahi Shimbun Digital:
Regarding the origin of the new coronavirus, the Wall Street Journal reported on the 26th that the US Department of Energy has determined that it is highly likely that it leaked from a laboratory in China.
The report is based on new classified information and has been reported to the White House and US Congressional leaders.
However, opinions are divided within the US government, with some agencies viewing the theory that the virus was transmitted to humans via animals as the most likely.
According to the WSJ, the Department of Energy has determined with “low confidence” that the virus spread as a result of an accident at a Chinese laboratory.
The Department of Energy oversees the US National Laboratory, which also conducts advanced biological research, and says it has “significant scientific knowledge.”
Other government agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), also support the lab leak theory, while the National Intelligence Council and four other agencies support the animal-mediated theory, and two agencies, including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), have not yet decided which theory to support.
1. “Japan’s manufacturing tradition” is on the verge of fading
For decades now, manufacturing factories have been “relocating overseas” to countries such as China, Southeast Asia, and Mexico in order to reduce costs.
At first, it was only large companies that were relocating their factories, but recently, small and medium-sized enterprises are also relocating their factories.
In particular, there is an overwhelming number of factories relocating to China, which has come to be called “the world’s factory.”
However, recently, due to rapid wage increases in China and quality issues, companies are moving to Vietnam and Thailand, and some are even relocating to Myanmar and Bangladesh to keep labor costs down.
However, if the relocation of manufacturing factories overseas continues at this rate, the hollowing out of Japan’s manufacturing industry will progress further and Japan’s manufacturing tradition will be on the verge of extinction.
<Added on March 6, 2020>
Due to the impact of the novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) that broke out in Wuhan, China in December 2019, the supply of many parts and products manufactured in factories in China has been halted.
It has become clear that the disruption of the supply chain, which is overly dependent on China, will have a detrimental effect on Japan in many areas. The damage will be enormous, from masks to parts for automobiles and home appliances.
I believe that now is the perfect opportunity to move the production of parts and products back from China to Japan.
2. The movement to “return factories to Japan”
It is time to stop the excessive pursuit of “cost reduction” and instead return to production in Japanese factories for the sake of “quality” and “preservation of the manufacturing tradition.”
Fortunately, recently there have been companies closing their overseas factories and building new ones in Japan, a phenomenon known as “the return of manufacturing to Japan.”
An increasing number of major manufacturers are announcing policies to switch some of their products and parts produced overseas to domestic production.
The reason for this phenomenon is not for idealistic reasons such as “preserving the traditions of manufacturing and craftsmanship,” but for more practical economic reasons.
(1) Weak Yen
The first reason is the weak yen. The weak yen has caused the value of the Japanese yen to fall, which has resulted in higher labor costs overseas, which is why they are returning to Japan.
(2) Japanese people’s high level of technological expertise
The second reason is the difference in the technical skills of the people working in the factories. In Japanese factories, the labor costs per person are high, but thanks to excellent technical skills, they are able to produce high-quality products with fewer people.
(3) Quality and delivery issues
In addition, there seem to have been problems with overseas factories, such as “poor quality” and “not meeting delivery deadlines.”
The reputation of “MADE IN JAPAN” quality is clear from the rave reviews from people overseas when watching TV shows such as Wafuku Souhonke.
3. Prices should be set (raised) in line with the quality of Japanese products.
Isn’t it time for Japanese company executives to make a major policy shift, so that they can set prices (raise prices) more in line with the quality of Japanese products and ensure that their employees are compensated commensurate with their hard work and skilled labor?
・勤勉で高度な労働に見合った報酬を得られるように、方針の大転換をすべき時期
I think it is time to break away from the spell of the “water philosophy” advocated by Konosuke Matsushita (the idealism of supplying high-quality, cheap products in large quantities like tap water) and shift to realism of “providing high-quality products at reasonable prices.”
Going forward, even if the yen appreciates, I would like to ask all managers of manufacturing companies to accelerate the return of manufacturing to Japan in order to protect Japan’s manufacturing and monozukuri traditions.
4. Measures for the inheritance of “craftsmanship”
Furthermore, in the world of “craftsmanship” where experience and intuition are crucial and cannot be easily replicated through machine production, such as the manufacturing of cutlery, carpentry, furniture, and pottery, which require skilled handicrafts, there is no system like the German Meister system, and there are fewer young successors, so although it may be difficult, I hope that somehow measures will be considered to preserve these crafts.