My opinion this week(82):
What to be reserved in the dam
In Kanto area, a number of flood disaster have been reported owing to the
approach of the typhoon to the main land. I would like to express my sincere
sympathy for people who suffered the disaster. In those area, it rained 1000
millimeters per an hour incredibly. On the other hand, in Shikoku, we had almost
no rain during August. Especially, in Kagawa Prefecture, where I live, the
shortage of water is getting serious as in the past years due to this weather.
The water-jug for Kagawa is Sameura Dam of Yoshinogawa River group located
northern part of Kouchi Prefecture. At the beginning of August, the dam was
filled with water by 100%. The water level has dropped to about 60% at the
end of August for there was no rain during this month.
Then the authorities concerned start talking about measures to be taken
to solve the shortage of water. The people concerned got together from
various parts of the Prefectures and discussed the necessity to restrict
water supply from the dam. At this time, they have concluded that water supply
would be cut by 20% for a while to meet this water shortage. Some of mass-media
reported that there would be no serious influence whatsoever, as far as 20%
cut is concerned.
This kind of pattern has been repeated every years in the past. I just
wonder why such conference itself consisted by so many people is necessary.
What should be done seems to be very obvious. No such talk and discussion
is necessary. All they have to do is to decide the rate of supply restriction
for each level of water in the dam. It must be automatic. What is necessary
to discuss?
No serious concern and interest is being observed among citizens on how
to save water usage in their daily life for they are told that they receive
no effects on such level of supply cut. In fact, several years ago, we faced
a serious water shortage which hit our life enormously. Water supply had
completely stopped from time to time and we recognized the seriousness of
such situation during that time.
Historically, the shortage of water supply had been an issue all the
time in this area. The Great Priest Koubou made a number of small ponds
as reservoirs for life line. People lived in this area should have learned
a great lesson from such experience in the past.
But since such large scale dam was built, people seem to have forget the
importance of water leaving all measures to city authorities. Every year
the same kind of water shortage situation has been repeated in recent years
as a result. The problem is the consciousness of the citizens and not the
kind of measures to be taken by city authorities.
What to be reserved at the dam is not only water resources but also some
other important knowledge and mind of people. All citizens must now under-
stand again the importance of water as a natural resources and of efficient
use of them to make our life convenient and comfortable.
1998/9/5
Tadashi HAYASE
My opinion this week(83):
Risk management without sense of urgency and moral
Finance Minister Miyazawa flied to San Francisco to meet U.S. Treasury
Secretary Robert Rubin for discussions on international economic problems
and developments in the domestic economy. After the meeting, Mr. Miyazawa
appeared in the press conference and explained what he had talked with
Mr. Rubin. Mr.Miyazawa who is a good speaker of English said : " Mr. Rubin
said Japan should have the sense of urgency to meet this economic and
financial difficulties world wide. In this respect, Japan should take
quicker and more substantial measures to improve the situation today."
Mr. Miyazawa continued to explain that he had answered to Secretary Rubin
with a great confidence that Japan is now taking all necessary measures
to meet such request.
Without waiting for what Secretary Ribin mentioned, it may be true that
Japan totally lacks the sense of urgency as a matter of fact. Just two days
before this meeting in San Francisco, the continental ballistic missile was
launched from North Korea. The missile flied over the mainland of Japan and
dropped in the Pacific Ocean. There are some arguments concerning the
flight whether the flight object was a missile or an artificial satellite.
Whatever the fact may be, it was a serious happening for security of Japan
at any rate. All mass-media discussed the fact that this country lacks a
fundamental system of risk management for that kind of happenings.
Many mass-media criticized Self Defense Force for the shortage of
capacity on information collection for such matter and for the lack of
capability to take quick countermeasures for such accidents. It may be
agreeable that they all criticized the country for that kind of senseless
action. But none of them seemed to analyze any basic background why Japan
and Japanese lack a sense of risk management to meet a critical situation.
Ironically speaking, it is about the same time when two of the top
civilian executives in the Ministry of Self Defense were arrested by the
Public Prosecutors Office for the breach of trust in their jobs. They
provided some special treatment against the vendor which supplied some
defense instruments and materials to the Self Defense Force. They requested
a kind of special arrangement on the career opportunity for their men at
the firm.
It is really a kind of pity story. Many of such of briberies happened in
several Municipal offices in recent years. There are some big criticism on
"Amakudari, a descent from the heaven" in these days. We see many of such
cases in other bureaucratic world recently. But we are extremely surprised
to see that such thing happens even in such place as the Ministry of Self
Defense Force.
Self Defense Minister Nukaga was sorry for what happened in his Ministry
in the press conference. But it was quite impressive for us to see that
such two big happenings concerning defense in the country happened at
about the same time. From my point of view, it has been proved that the
lack of sense of risk management of Japanese derives from two factors.
That is the lack of sense of urgency and the lack of moral on their jobs.
Needless to say, many of such corruption have been observed in
bureaucratic world in Japan these days. The root is the same for what
happened in the Ministry of Self Defense Force. It is absolutely necessary
to make overall reform of the administrative system in Japan as totally
discussed in recent years.
1998/9/12
Tadashi HAYASE
My opinion this week(84):
Life space doubling plan
Several policies to vitalize economy had been announced and been provided
one after another in the past several months. But the economy is still in a
very bad conditions over all. No improvement in consumption and investment
has been observed yet. In the recent monthly economic report by the Government,
the worst condition of national economy has been reported. No effect on
consumption has been observed regardless some of those tax cut measures taken
by the Government so far. The issue is how to loosen consumers' purse strings
by taking some effective measures.
The reason for the low propensity to consume of people is obvious. People
have some great concerns for the future of their life under this economic,
financial and social difficulties of this country and of the world. But that
is not the whole reason for low propensity to consume. People have enough goods
already. In their home, they almost have all kinds of electric appliances, cars
in their garages and all sorts of clothes and wares in their own closets. Not
all but most average households are that way as a matter of fact.
Then it is not right at all to say that people are satisfied with the present
way of life to the fullest extent. It is wrong to say that people have little
desire to improve their life. It is obvious that all people wish to improve
their way of life in one way or the other. They wish to make their life more
comfortable and pleasant in many of their life spots such as at their own home,
their communities, educational fields, welfare fields and so forth.
The Government has just announced "Life space doubling plan " guided by the
Economy Strategic Conference initiated by Obuchi Cabinet recently. I totally
agree with the basic ideas provided in this plan. The idea is a very basic one
which defines how to stimulate stagnant economy and consumption. The
conventional public investments which have been repeated in the past will never
improve the situation any more.
30 years ago, Japanese economy started to make very high growth with the idea
of "income doubling plan " announced by Ikeda Cabinet. In those days, the
increase of consumption was guaranteed if there were enough income. People
bought a number of consumers goods and consumer durable goods very
aggressively.
That is not true any more. What to be increased is not income but life space
and contents which are comfortable, safe and intelligent. The contents of them
cannot be described in one word. But one concrete example is the improvement of
overall housing environments in Japanese society.
This topic has been discussed in My opinion of this week two weeks ago.
Japanese housing conditions is still quite poor in general. The biggest invest-
ment and consumption opportunity exist here without any doubt. There are more
area relating life space when we extend the topics to welfare, education, and
natural environment, and so forth. It is quite right for Economy Strategic
Conference to handle this issue as their first projects to proceed to vitalize
the present economy.
1998/9/19
Tadashi HAYASE
My opinion this week(85):
"Although it's beyond my authority"
The government and the Liberal Democratic Party reached basic agreement
with opposition parties Friday on key financial stabilization bills,
clearing a major hurdle before Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi's upcoming trip
to the United States. But the issue seems to still contains a number of
problems. This is not a topic at this time , though.
After the meeting with opposition parties' leaders, Prime Minister Obuchi
appeared at the press conference and said: "Although there were many issues
in dispute, the agreement has finally been reached based on my leadership,
although it is beyond my authority." Strange word, isn't it? "Although it
is beyond my authority" is a literal translation of "senetu nagara" in
Japanese. In Japan, this word "senetu nagara" is often used in various
occasions in any business and social scene.
Mr.Obuchi used this word as a kind of hackneyed expression. But the fact
itself is a kind of symbolic thing to explain Japanese way of thinking.
What is the restriction for the Prime Minister to take leadership in deciding
such important national policies? There should be no "senate" (beyond
authority) as far his authority and power is concerned on this case.
We understand that Mr. Obuchi used that word with his humbleness. But it
is his basic responsibility to exert his leadership using his authority and
power to the fullest extent. There is no room that his authority and power
will be restricted as far as he is in the right direction
As a matter of fact, this word "senetsu nagara" is often used at various
places and at various occasions in Japanese society. For an example, at a
company meeting, a manager may say: " I would like to express my opinion on
this issue, although it is beyond my authority". Beyond his authority? No,
it is not. That is his primary responsibility to express his opinion on
the issue. Another example is like this. At some business group leaders'
party, a top management leader of the group is appointed to make a toast
at the start of the party. He will say:" Well, I am happy to do this job
although I am not in that position. " Yes, he is surely in that position
without any doubt.
According to my dictionary, Dijisen, "senetu nagara" means that man do
some works which are not allowed basically for him to do because of his
position and his class in the organization. In Japanese "mura" society
(mura is a village), nothing is more important to keep his area and place
of his position than to perform probably his prime responsibility of that
position.
Needless to say, in any organizations, men have to perform their duties
in accordance with the positions they are in. In any governments and private
firms, job authorities and responsibilities at each positions are clearly
defined and described. It is natural that all men in the organization must
follow those job description. The degree of responsibilities of each
position is decided based on the degree of authorities in each positions.
That is a principle of any organizations.
However, in many cases, in any pyramid organizations, a primary concern of
the people is to be within his authority and tend to limit his authority
by himself much more than expected. Then in many cases, he do not perform
his responsibility which is supposed to be his. What's more, he cannot
exert his ability at all by limiting his capacity by himself. Japanese
proverb says:" Any exposed piles are hit by a hammer."
It is true that such bad influence of pyramid organization have been
observed and pointed out in recent years. Today there appears many arguments
on how to vitalize such organization by making them flatter and network
style. One of the important point to vitalize a organization is that members
of organization are requested to have more of his own opinion and exert his
capability to the fullest extent by taking a good teamwork with other
members in the organization.
We still often listen to the word "senetu nagara" in many occasions. This
is the evidence that our society is still controlled overall by the concept
of pyramid and hierarchy organization. Any organizations exist to bear some
kind of fruits and outcome. It does not exist to decide the authorities
and positions for members in the organization. The primary importance is
to let people to exert their fullest capabilities and powers and to produce
some fruits out of them. Needless to say, a teamwork is very important as
well in this case, too.
1998/9/26
Tadashi HAYASE
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