Abstract
According to Reuters, a Japanese company has come up with a new way to track down grandmas, grandpas and anyone else who forgets where he or she is supposed to be. The company will use a satellite-based global positioning system and cellular technology.
The device has been developed by a firm led by the Mitsui & Co. trading house, which works like this; a transmitter is attached to a person's body or clothing. And when that person goes missing, a request is sent to find the wanderer. The transmitter shines the person's “coordinates” to a local server, and his or her location appears on a computerized map. Mitsui & Co. says it will test the device in Tokyo and Kikuchi City this year, and will then launch it. A spokesperson told Reuters, “We are definitely expecting a market to develop for the system.” Sure, they'll start with grandmas. But where will it end? This anecdote introduces us to the Japanese culture and their priorities. You may find this funny, or shocking but the problem is real and is unfortunately not a joke. How do you find the consideration of Human-being in this “anecdote”? Does it perfectly show us the clash of cultures with Western countries?
Nowadays, Japan faces a new crisis, even the specialists observed amelioration during the first semester of 1999, the recession is the most important since the World War. And its origins are due to a financial crisis which causes a vicious circle. The system is now reformed and the roots of Japan began to change. Throughout the essay, we will answer the following question: can Japanese Sogo-soshas become common in Europe and USA with the system and its current situation? That is why three main parts will be developed to understand the Japanese system – and especially the role of Sogo-sosha -, the crisis and the culture. We will first analyze the system in which evolutes the famous Sogo-soshas and the Keiretsus. Then some links between the different parts of a typical Japanese firm and the national institutions will be established. However, we will speak about the policies applied in Japan. What did firms and governments to obtain so much profitability?
In the second part, we will describe the industrialization of Japan with its history since Meiji. And we will observe figures to explain the success or the economic crisis and how it happens?
And in the last part, we will study some cases of Sogo-sosha based overseas with their “local” Management and the comparison of values, culture and priorities with Western countries.
