October saw me venturing to Japan for a week with Hitachi, primarily for the Hitachi Innovation Forum. I got a rare and in-depth insight into the culture of Hitachi, one of the longest standing technology superpowers in the world today.
I had the opportunity to meet with Hitachi designers and learn about the products they were working on. This included a finger vain scanning technology – apparently the finger vain is more unique than retina and finger print. I was also amazed at the sheer number of products they produce. For instance they make bullet trains and are they’re in the process of creating a system to reduce the number of taxis on the road using a tracking device to make routes more efficient.
But there’s nothing like mixing a little business with pleasure right? That started in Tokyo. I was surprised that Tokyo, at a glance, didn’t look incredibly unique to any other big industrial, commercialised city…until I met the people and experienced the small idiosyncrasies of Japanese life – the basins, the toilets, the clothing, the unwritten rules, the vending machines, transport…I could go on and on. Oh, and we happened to explore the busy streets of Tokyo on the evening of Halloween to witness the locals embracing it in true Manga style.
The pace slowed down when we went to Kyoto, once the capital of Japan. I got to experience some of Japan’s treasured examples of history as I explored golden temples, watched rare performances by geishas and indulged in delicious Japanese cuisine - prepared with such deep respect and meticulous care. It makes sense though; it’s an accurate reflection of the Japanese culture –respectful, polite, courteous and obedient. This also strongly emanates in the way they do business – placing great emphasis on establishing mutually beneficial, strong relationships. And business is a much richer experience because of this.
What an all-encompassing trip, I spent most of my time being stunned and amazed at the world and people that surrounded me. Land of the rising sun, I cannot wait to return.
