Q : What kind of people are the Japanese?
Peoples throughout the world can be basically divided into hunters and farmers. Hunters must be constantly on the move to gain sustenance, and they not only become adept at the techniques for stalking their prey but knowledgeable in the ways of their movements. Farmers, on the other hand, are sedentary and patient as they wait for harvest time. For the most part, Japanese belong to the farming or agricultural type.
By the 3rd century AD, when rice cultivation had become firmly established, the population had grown to about 2,500,000, and large-scale villages appeared throughout the country. The cultivation of rice was labor-intensive, with the planting and harvesting requiring the hands of many people. Cooperation and diligence were essential, and these characteristics became ingrained in the Japanese people. It was this work ethic that provided
the driving force behind the rapid growth of the postwar Japanese economy.
The world now has entered an information-intensive age. It has been led by hunter societies such as the United States. Since it is all-important to know the whereabouts of the prey, these societies are immensely eager to accumulate information. As Japan has became more and more familiar with Western ways, its work ethic has begun to undergo a gradual change.
日本まるごとQ & A
(IBCパブリッシング)