In 2002 Alex Kerr finished up his second book following his previous Shincho Literary Prize (first foreigner to do so) winning book: Lost Japan. His book sets out to dispel all the falsities Japan has built up to keep from losing face and to preserve its image of technological power, peace and stability. The books intent is the educate the reader in hope a change can occur, not to simply point a finger at the countries inabilities and shortcomings.
The book reveals shocking stories of corporate cover-ups and lies, incredible cases of unknown pollution and the blatent lack of concern for it and many cases of how the populations chronic ability to look the other way in times of embarrassment has completely destroyed the country. Almost every aspect of the country is examined from the school system and environment to manga and bureaucracy.
He pulls back the huge curtain of denial surrounding the country to let the reader know how it really is. The only qualm on my part is his cynical tone throughout most of the book makes it a little hard to read without taking that attitude on the current subject too.
Although I'm just shy of the half way point of the book, I'm still shocked at the amount of Japanese wrong doing he presents to the reader. Some of the stories that have come up and to what size and scale past and current problems really reach can't be really understood until you've read a few chapters.
Before reading, I was simply aware of a lot of problems plaguing Japan. But after reading about what causes these things and why they still continue and can't seem to comprehend the complete ludicrously of some of the issues.
For a good example of corporate mind set, cover-ups and trickery in Japanese business lets take a look at Japan's nuclear industry and see what happens when there is a problem.
And I quote: (page 118)
The level of sheer fiction in Japan's nuclear industry can be gauged from the story of how Donen misused most of its budget for renovation work between 1993 and 1997. The problem lay in 2000 drums of low-level radioactive waste stored at Tokai, which began rusting in pits filled with rain-water. Records show that the problem dated to the 1970s, but only in 1993 did Donen begin to take action, asking for money to remove the drums from the pits and to build sheds for temporary storage. So far so good. Four years and 1 billion yen later, Donen still had not taken the drums out of the pits or built the sheds. Nobody knows where the money went-semipublic agencies like Donen are not required to make their budgets public-but the suspicion was that Donen secretly spent it doing patchwork waterproofing in the pits to hide evidence of radioactive leakage. There is no problem, the agency said. One official remarked, "The water level has not dropped, so radioactive material is not leaking outside."
Donen went on to request more money for 1998, stating that renovation was going smoothly, and asking for 71 million yen to remove the sheds it had never built! It even attached drawings to show how it was reinforcing the inner walls of the storage pits. The Donen official in charge of technology to protect the environment from radioactive waste said, "It's true that the storage pits will eventually be reinforced. So I thought it would be all right if details of the project were different from what we had stated in out request for budgetary approval."
When Donen gets money from the government to remove sheds it never built and shore up the walls of pits it never drained, we are definitely moving into the territory of Escher and Kafka. A final surreal touch is provided by an animated video produced by Donen to show children that plutonium isn't as dangerous as activists say. "A small character named Pu (the chemical symbol of plutonium), who looks like an extra from "The Jetsons", gives his friend a glass of plutonium water and says it's safe to drink. His friend, duly impressed, drinks no less that six cups of the substance before declaring, "I feel refreshed!"
This is just one example of what happens when things go wrong. This book cases dozens and dozens more stories like this one but associated with all other aspects the country.
I suggest anybody with any inclination to know more about Japan to pick up this book to expand or garner their opinion on the country. It's a shame to know these kinds of things are happening in such a beautiful country but unless more people are made aware of its problems, nothing will change. Just try not to be such a gloomy guss after finishing the book. Take the information to heart but not the author's attitude.
Check out this link for some reviews and buyers opinion of the book.
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