Modern Japan
After world war II, Japan was left in a very critical and economically depressed state. However, the Japanese were eager to rebuild their nation, and after some extraordinary changes went to become the second-highest economy in the world. This period in Japanese History teaches the value of hard work, resilience in the most unfavorable circumstances. It is possible that their peculiar customs and life philosophies were one of the main reasons they were able to endure these difficult times. I will analyze the rhetorical on four articles that will talk about modern Japanese culture and explore the differences and influences of their culture and Western Civilization.
The first article, “Postwar Japan, 1952-1989” by Peter Frost. The medium is the Japan Society’s website and the genre is a written article for educational purposes. The audience is individuals interested in learning about Japanese history and culture. The rhetorical situation is to educate the audience about the remarkable accomplishments Japan has made as a nation after the devastating circumstances left WWII. The author’s stance seems unbiased about the Japanese aggressive drive for progress by presenting the positive and negative perspectives of Japanese admirers (better know as “Chrysanthemum Clubbers”) and detractors (better known as “Japan Bashers”). I think the author’s purpose in this article is to invite the audience to form their own opinions about the unfolded events in postwar Japan. His tone is direct and straightforward as he touches on the most important aspects that characterized this period. His language is formal but accessible enough for a casual reader to discern the content. The author is credible because he is presenting verifiable evidence on the topic. Also, the Japan Society is a well respected non-profit organization formed in 1907 to promote friendly relations between the United States and Japan. They must have high standards for the writers they choose to educate their audience to ensure their own credibility. This article was originally written for Japan Society’s previous site for educators, “Journey through Japan,” in 2003. And this affects the audience, in which the value of the article survived their website transition and educational use.
The second article “JAPAN’S SECRET: W. EDWARDS DEMING” The medium is the Washington Post’s website and the genre is an electronic newspaper article. The audience are the Washington Post’s regular and casual readers. The rhetorical situation of the article is an obituary about business management expert, W. Edwards Deming who gave the Japanese a jumpstart in their search for workflow improvement and productivity in the manufacturing trade. Most of his ideas were first implemented in Japan and gave them some vital tools to become manufacturer leaders of the world in a short period of time. Most of his methods are still being practiced to this day. “Deming advised the Japanese, who sought him out, not to copy the American-style inspection system but to incorporate quality control principles into the manufacturing process” (Rowen,Paragrah 3). The author’s stance seems to neutral, as he is simply recounting Edward Deming’s influence on the Japanese manufacturing industry. He never expresses his direct opinion on American Business managers rejecting his ideas, although he does observe and point out that it was recognized later by them. ” It then took 30 years, until 1981, before an equivalent American incentive, named for the late Secretary of Commerce Malcolm Baldrige, was established to encourage higher American quality” (Rowen, Paragraph 9) The author’s purpose in this article is to show the Japanese hunger for improvement and celebrate Deming’s work. They were willing to implement and experiment with a foreigner’s obscure methods and ideas ( that were rejected in his own country) for the sake of boosting productivity. Their successful results proved the superiority of his methods. Histone is serious and formal as it uses professional and accessible language in the article. The author is credible as he cites key moments in Deming’s career and legacy “Ford Motor Co. hired Deming in a desperate attempt to stem the flow of huge losses. Ford soon adopted its well-known slogan, “Quality Is Job One,” and not only moved back into profitability but has also taken the industry lead away from General Motors”. The article was written on December 23, 1993, just a couple days after his death which demonstrates the audience the credibility of this article by acknowledging the importance of his legacy in such a timely manner.
The third article “Why so many of the world’s oldest companies are in Japan” posted on the BBC website. The genre is an electronic article focused on the work-life subject. The audience is BBC’s regular and casual readers. The rhetorical situation is educating the audience about the management and work-life values that have been present for centuries and how they differ from the traditional American style. The author’s stance is neutral, as he analyses the positive and negative aspects of these companies focusing on sustainability for generations instead of maximizing their profits. “ Hara, who worked in Silicon Valley for a decade, says that Japanese companies’ emphasis on sustainability, rather than quick maximization of profit, is a major reason why so many of the nation’s businesses have such staying power. “In Japan, it’s more: how can we move [the company] on to our descendants, our children, our grandchildren?” he explains.” (Lufkin, Paragraph 7).His purpose is to inform the audience on how different values can affect business management, each can provide different benefits and detriments to a national economy. “Yet this admiration for longevity does have a downside, particularly when it comes to the nation’s start-up scene, which has been criticized as sluggish in comparison to elsewhere, although that characterization is changing. In Japan, the dominant mindset towards risk and failure is a battle many entrepreneurs have to overcome.” (Lufkin, Paragraph 19) His tone shows respect and admiration for their business style and his language is formal and professional. The author is credible, as he has written several articles focusing on Japanese culture for the BBC website. One of the most respected media Corporations in the UK and the world. The author is effective in his writing as it captures the attention of the reader by making the topic interesting and entertaining. The article was published on February 12th, 2020, making the article very relevant in today’s work-life education.
The Fourth text is taken from the last chapter of the book “ Modern Japan: Origins Of The Mind Japanese Traditions And Approaches To Contemporary Life”, The medium is the Academic Search Complete Database. The genre is an ebook. The audience is people who are interested in the origins of modern Japanese customs. The rhetorical situation is focusing on differentiating Japanese from Western customs. We are often surprised by their philosophies and approaches to everyday endeavors, however, these living practices have been around for centuries. Although since 1852 we can observe the influence from the western civilizations, they still retain much of there Millennial old traditions. The author’s stance on their tradition is comprehensive since he has spent some time in the country an appreciates the history that led them to their present lifestyle. He appears to find these customs fascinating, since a lot of their behaviors and thinking patterns would not cross the mind of someone raised in the Western civilization, giving a feeling of novelty to new readers. The author is credible as he mentions being assessed by Japanese culture experts such as Dean Professor Alexander Shnyrko from far Eastern National University (Vladivostok, Russia) and Professor David Edgington from the Center for Japanese Research at the University of British Columbia (Vancouver, Canada). He also devoted his Sabbatical year in devotion to research and write the material in this book. His tone is non-judgemental as he is clearly just informing the audience of their millennial old traditions and utilizes formal but accessible language, making it easy for the casual reader to digest the information he is providing. The authors of the second, third, and fourth articles were effective in sparking the curiosity of the reader regarding Japanese behaviors and life philosophies. Their writing style is interesting enough to entertain the reader and leave a sense of fulfillment for learning something new. The first author, however, seems a little dense for a first-time reader trying to learn a little more about Japan. The content is valuable, however, it could bore someone not interested enough in the subject. In my humble opinion, I believe the third author was the most effective in his writing style. He invites the reader to learn and analyze the benefits of Japanese Business management values. While also not overlooking or disregarding other traditional business management styles. He was able to touch the surface on the topic and make it compelling enough to awake interest in a new reader to dive deeper into the subject.
Websites
FROST, PETER. “ Postwar Japan, 1952-1989”Marchan 82003.(http://aboutjapan.japansociety.org/postwar_japan_1952-1989#sthash.9WMKytqU.ILczyAl9.dpbs)News Paper ;HOBART , ROWEN. “
JAPAN’S SECRET: W. EDWARDS DEMING”.THE WASHINGTON POST. December 23, 1993 Pages.Print.https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/opinions/1993/12/23/japans-secret-w-edwards-deming/b69b8c00-4c5d-483a-b95e-4aeb1d94d2c6/Magazine;
BRYAN, LUFKIN “ Why so many of the world’s oldest companies are in Japan”. BBC . 12th February 2020Pages.
Print.https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200211-why-are-so-many-old-companies-in-japan
Scholarly Source;
Prasol, A. F “ Modern Japan: Origins Of The Mind -Japanese Traditions And Approaches To Contemporary Life”. 2010Pages. Print. 313-333https://web-a-ebscohost-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/ehost/ebookviewer/ebook/ZTAwMHhuYV9fMzc0OTQ2X19BTg2?sid=ac96c3a2-a188-4f82-b15b-161e5ad4c6e9@sessionmgr4006&vid=2&format=EB
