My opinion this week(136):

Misunderstanding about e-mail

  When I go to visit a bookstore, I see so many kind of magazines on PC 
have been newly published. They are too many to count. In this serious 
economic recession and stagnant consumption, sales of PCs are increasing in 
numbers and increasing number of such PC magazines are closely related the
increase of PC sales. Many of such PC magazines handle e-mail in most of 
their weekly or monthly issues without exception. They write about the most
recent tools and  technique of e-mail in many issues.

  People buy PCs, join to  providers of internet and start to learn writing
e-mail and sending them to somewhere trying various kind of new tools
and technique. Well, I may say that e-mailing  itself is not difficult at
all. It may be difficult for the people who challenge PC for the first time.
Many people tend to give up using it, by putting PC aside on the desk. Some
pet character mails such as Postpet look enjoyable and they would try to use
them for a while, but they would got tired with them and give up using them
sooner or later in many cases. Some say that they do not understand why 
e-mail are said so interesting.

  The personal use of e-mail has not become so popular yet in Japan and
this may be also true with business use of e-mail which is supposed to be
a main portion by itself. Many statistics show that more than 80% of business
firms are now introducing e-mail system for their business operation. Many
business people are using e-mail very efficiently and conveniently in many 
business stages such as international correspondence and others. However, 
it is also true that not many people really understand the true effect and
efficient function  of e-mail when they are used in business operations.

  Compared with US and European business, where internal communications 
had been done mainly by written memorandum, the internal communication of
Japanese offices had been done more by oral transfer of message and 
bulletin boards rather than internal memorandum. Under this circumstances,
it is natural that e-mail have prevailed much easier and faster in US and
European business than in Japanese business. And there is no doubt about
the fact that some big difference in productivity of office between US 
business and Japanese business is the result of difference in usage of 
e-mail in two business cultures.

  The purpose here is not to talk about those issues in detail. I just
want to point out that many people misunderstand or mixed up e-mail as
an objective and not as a tool. 

　 E-mail is just a tool and not an objective by itself. I would like to 
point out the fact that misunderstanding about e-mail has been created due
to the fact that many PC magazines introduce e-mail as if it is an objective
by itself. Needless to say, they talk a lot about methodologies, technique,
and new tools. That's fine. But real issue here is the contents of e-mail 
itself. The issue is not methodologies and technique.

　 These days , I see many articles and TV news letters which talk about 
the importance of learning Japanese. On September 24th, Syunjyu, Column of
Nikkei Shinbun also wrote about it. The article mentioned the importance 
of Japanese language education before stressing the importance of English
education for children at school. I quite agree with it. And in the same
context, I would like to stress the importance of Japanese language 
education before talking a lot about PC education at school. In preparing
e-mail, the most important part is to express writer's intention and opinion
by using his own words. That is the main portion of the communication. 
It is only in this way that e-mail will be very strong and effective means
of communication.

  In 1983, John Naisbitt wrote the book titled  "Mega Trend". He forecasted
the outcome of network society due to the development of information 
technologies by computers. In that book,  Neisbitt clearly stressed the
importance of reading and writing capability of people to live in the 
network society, although computer literacy is the important base on 
the one hand. This is entirely right insight that is the summary of this
article of this week.

1999/10/2
Tadashi HAYASE

My opinion this week(137):

Criticality of nuclear accident

 Tokai nuclear accident went critical, but reached to an end last week
end.  All people in Japan had just relieved from the fear for further
disasters. It is natural that Prime Minister Obuchi postponed to reshuffle
his cabinet and became the head of the task force to cope with the serious
situation. That was such a serious accident not only for Japan, but also
for any countries of the world.

 As a result of this, anti-nuclear power station movement which had been
calm these days may resume its power again. Since that serious nuclear 
accident happened in Soviet Union, many European countries such as 
Germany and Sweden decided not to construct any new nuclear power plants
any more in the future. Such decision had also been made in relation to 
environment issues, of course.

  Anti nuclear power station movement in Japan used to be very active 
also. The movement became even stronger just after the serious accident
at Soviet Union. The movement, however, seemed to have lost their power
significantly since the birth of coalition government by LDP, Socialist
Party and　the New Party Sakigake. The strong sponsor of such movement 
was, of course, Socialist Party and they had changed their policy so
easily and admitted the existence of nuclear power stations in the
coalition. Everybody has forgot the importance of this issue. The 
accident had happened under such social environment. I personally have
some doubt on this kind of trend. Just before two days before the 
accident, the participants of International Salon of Nikkei BP Forum,
BizTech Forum, started discussing about the necessity of nuclear power
stations and their relation with the safety and environment problems 
in the world. I was just surprised with that kind of timing.

 Japanese tends to get hot on something and get cool about them very
easily. The missile was launched by North Korea and an unidentified ships
invaded Japan sea. Then they started to pay a greater attention on 
defense issues. It was only a few while when they show much interest
in the protection from earthquake facing such a big disaster as Hanshin
Big Earthquake. Fortunately or unfortunately, we continue to have 
attention earthquake for such big earthquake at Turkey and Taiwan. But
only little people talk about safety of nuclear power stations these 
days as a matter of fact.

  Nuclear power generation of Japan shares 30% of total, rather high 
even compared with such developed countries as US and UK. Considering
the possibility of converting nuclear power generation to other methods,
such high share will remain same for some time or may even increase in 
the future. I personally understand the basic energy policy of the 
country as itself. But needless to say, we Japanese should have greater
interest in the safety of nuclear power generation and the government
should keep paying utmost attention on that safety.

 As to the safety level of nuclear power generation, it is much higher
than those level at energy material processing plant. But we are just 
astonished to see such an unbelievable low level of control at the 
processing plant. They are closely related with nuclear power generation
control of Japanese government.

 "Natural disaster happen when we forget about it." The proverb says.
The accident happened at this time was a good lesson for all of us 
Japanese. The safety issue of nuclear power generation in relation with
environment issues will become one of the most important argument on 
the basic policies of political parties in the year to come. People 
should have a big interest in them.

1999/10/9
Tadashi HAYASE

My opinion this week(138):

Defects of administrative organization

  I have observed a number of reports on facts about the criticality 
accident at Tokai town. NHK news report on Sunday night of October 10th
was especially good one among many of such news reports. The reports explained 
how people in charge acted and expressed statements at each stage of accidents.
Well, everything what were told by them sounded reasonable, but they mostly 
seemed to avoid the responsibility on the accident. The comments were something
like this . "I could not do anything by myself. Information was not enough. 
I could not judge anything by myself. No proper instruction had been provided
from the upper level." 

  Whenever this kind of accident happens, it is pointed out that there lacks
a proper risk management system. It takes two or three hours to communicate
the fact of accident to the top government officials  or to the administrative
authority in charge of the accident. It usually takes another few hours for
them to issue a kind of proper instruction to cope with the accident. At this
time, it took almost 12 hours,  before the evacuation instruction to local 
inhabitants had been issued. All employees of JOC had already evacuated from
the place much earlier as a matter of fact.

  Why is this? Yes, it is because there was no risk management system, as most
mass media and social critics mentioned. But I personally believed that it
derives from the basic defect of administrative organization of this country. 
Japanese administrative organization is typically organized vertically and 
hierarchy (pyramid) in shape. It takes too much time to communicate from the
bottom to the top. The same way from the top to the bottom.

 The administration office of the town hires one professional scientist 
preparing for that kind of accident. Why the mayor of the town could not
decide to issue the instruction for evacuation to the inhabitants based
on the critical stage at JOC and on the advise from this professional man? 
The mayor asked the instruction from the authority of Ibaraki Prefecture.
But no proper answer was provided according to him. On the other hand,
the Governor of the Prefecture reported the accident to the central government
and to the Ministry of Science and Technology. 

 The director of Atomic Agency of the Ministry said that he had not enough 
information about the accident and did not know what to do for there was
no consensus among all member of the council which was called to discuss the
issue. What kind of consensus is necessary for that kind of emergent case? He
reported the accident to the Prime Minister but no concrete suggestion had 
been provided from his agency.  Having observed the serious case, the Prime 
Minister formed a task force to cope with the serious situation and became 
the head of the task force by himself. How many hours had been passed before
this stage? 

  Well, it's fine for the Prime Minister to become the head of such task
force. But I wonder why someone who are closer to the place of accident could
not take some more faster and proper actions. I see here some basic defects 
of administrative organization in this country. Typical communication route 
from the bottom to the top looking for some decision at higher level.  And
some decision is communicated from the higher level to the lower level. It is
natural that it takes so much time even in such emergent case. It is really a
bucket relay system. A bucket was a main player of the accidents at this time.
The relay is not so fast as Internet mail system.

 Administrative reform is one of social and political topics these days.
The main issue of the administrative reform is this. That is, how can we 
improve such slow communication and decision making system in the government 
organization? I just wonder there virtually existed no such mass media
and social critics which focused the attention concerning this issue. This
is, I believe, one most important points throughout the whole issue.

1999/10/16
Tadashi HAYASE

My opinion this week(139):

A speech of a tea-bowl manufacturer

  Two weeks ago, I went to Fukuoka to attend a business convention and 
had a chance to listen to a speech after a few while. I personally don't 
like any of such table speeches have listened hundreds of them so far
got used to become sleepy usually. Many of such speeches are done by 
social critics, scholars, and business executives who are famous among
mass-media. They are mostly too long to keep listening for two to two 
hours and half. Well, they are usually a kind of boastful talk, of success
stories, or of explanation of what's going on in the world. I just wonder
why people like that kind of such useless speeches.

  But the speech this time was entirely different from those which I listened
in the past. The speaker was Mr. Jukan Chin, an earthenware creator in Kyusyu.
I did not know why such man as an earthenware creator had been invited to
make a speech at the business convention. I had some interest but did not
expect too much. I just imagined that he would talk how enjoyable it is
to make potters. He would suggest the listeners to start such wonderful
hobbies by themselves. 

 Soon after the speech started, however, I just concentrated listening to
the speech for two hours and half and got really excited about it. I was 
really moved with it. That was the first time in my life that I had been
moved with tears by a speech, although I had tears  before with some 
dramas or movies.  

  As we can guess from his name, Mr. Chin's ancestor came from Korea to
Satuma, Kyusyu, Japan, 400 years ago. The ancestor was forced to come to
Satuma by the master of Satuma district and the Korean families had had 
hard time for many years until they established their name as a pottery 
creator in Japanese society. Under some protection of Satuma feudal clan,
they had created their original Satuma pottery based on their own Korean
traditional arts and skills and some additional arts originated in Satuma
since they came to Japan. 

　  Mr. Chin is 14th master of the family. He talked his experience by
referring various episodes as to how they had been treated in Japanese 
society under the fact that the family was Korea origin and how they had
succeeded in their business under such situation. I was most moved with
the story when he visited Soul University to make an speech commemorating
400th anniversary of establishment of Chin's family in Japan. At the last
stage of the speech, he said to the audiences who were mainly students. 
" I understand why your grand fathers and fathers had some ill will against
Japan and Japanese people because of their aggressive conducts during the
past war. But I wonder why you young people who virtually have no experience
with such invasion continue to have some ill will against Japan. Now is 
the time when you young people should start building a new era with Japan." 
This word was accepted overwhelmingly by the whole audience with a big 
clap.

  He was invited to the dinner party held by the then President of South
Korea because of this happening. Mr. Chin, just a tea-bowl manufacturer,
really became a bridge of new relation for two countries. "A tea-bowl 
manufacture" is a word used often by Mr. Chin in his speech and it is a
kind of humbleness shown  by him, of course.

  Summary of his speech was another impressive one. It is about a potter's
wheel. The wheel always turn very rapidly. But when he place a needle on 
the top of the core of the earthen ware , the needle stand still on the 
wheel. The potter worker will be admitted as a professional only after he
found the core point of the potter. This is true with anything according
to Mr. Chin. 

 A lot of phenomena in business turn around very rapidly every minutes. 
But there is a core fact which stand still without any movement. Every 
business executives and managers should look at that point to make any
proper business decision. 

  That was the most impressive summary of his speech while there are a
lot more maxim I want to talk about. I satisfied to attend the convention
at this time thanks to this good speech presented by "a mere tea-bowl 
manufacturer. 

1999/10/23
Tadashi HAYASE

My opinion this week(140):

For a more comfortable networking

 Internet has become a daily topic these days. Everybody talks about Inter-
net today. Until quite recently, it is believed that Internet is still 
an immature means of network, but people started talking and practicing
Internet as a part of their daily life. NTT Communication has just started
a new provider business by providing free IBM PCs worth 100 thousands yen so
that they can earn more of the providers service charge and telephone line 
charges every months. There already appeared some American net work business
firms which provided PCs free to their clients the say way.

 Well, that is a good trend, I may say. My personal belief is that the
present stagnant economy can be activated by basic change of structure
i.e. networking of all phase of economy. Needless to say, Internet is a
main part of such networking process.

  However, the reality is something different. Most people who bought PCs 
and started Internet by registering to  some providers tend to give up very
easily after a few while. There are many reason for that. But one major 
reason is that many works and procedures to do Internet are still quite 
troublesome. PCs must be run first of all. Connection to the provider 
through telephone line is next. Waiting for a site for a while is the third
step. All of those process take time. Even after hitting the target site,
it takes a lot of time to perform works planned to do for the server 
accessed are very crowded most of the time.

  Men receive a bill from a telephone firm once a month. While providers
fee has mostly become fixed rate these days, telephone line charges tend
to increase every months. The more men use Internet, the higher communication
charges they are suffered. So they cannot really enjoy Internet because they
must keep worrying about communication charges every minutes while they are
connecting to Internet. In addition, some sites of Internet are crowded all
the time. 

  As to communication charges, NTT has finally mentioned that they will start
a fixed rate schedule soon. But they say the minimum rate is about 8,000 yen
a month . It is still quite high for a general public. The charge in US is 
about 1/5 of that in Japan. Japanese network infrastructure is still far 
behind from that of US in this respect.

　 Recently, I have changed to a router dial up system from TA dial up,
for I was not satisfied with the speed of the communication so far. 
Fortunately, Netwave Shikoku, the provider I registered with, provided a 
service for 128K MP communication for router dial up. 

  What a comfortable service it is! I satisfied with the speed, of course.
But I satisfied more with the convenience of on and off line operation.
Communication charges per minutes will be doubled for MP uses two telephone 
line at a time. But the efficiency of communication will be more than doubled
by using this router system. 

  Owing to this experience, I reconfirmed the importance of fixed rate charges
of communication and of ever-going connection system of Internet. I would like
to point out the importance of improving infrastructure of Internet in order
for people to make better use of it.

1999/10/30
Tadashi HAYASE