Recently, an activist opposing the regime died in prison in an authoritarian country. The true cause is unclear, but it was reported as a natural death due to illness. In another similar authoritarian country, a second-in-command, who had a falling out with the overwhelmingly powerful leader, was dismissed and soon passed away. This was also reported as a natural death due to illness. In centralized authoritarian states, advocating for ideas different from those of the central authority can sometimes pose a risk.
 
The phrase JTC (Japanese Traditional Company) is used to describe the Japanese corporate structure that resembles this type of regime state.It is a phrase used to ridicule traditional Japanese companies that are shaped by the vertical hierarchy of their elders, or in other words, by a top-down organizational structure. The word "cooperativeness" rarely heard today, was once worshipped as if it were a god. It is a word that means to read the air and make oneself conform to the whole, and such a thing is considered a good thing. "Cooperativeness" is exactly the opposite of "diversity" a word that has come to be frequently used in place of "cooperativeness". "JTC" is a self-sacrificing organizational form built in the name of such "cooperativeness".
 
The phrase "Surmise" was popular a few years ago, when government officials were being tactful to powerful politicians. Another old politician said, "Women don't understand themselves, so meetings attended by women are slowed down! With such a statement, the politician turned many of the women in the society against him. This kind of culture is clearly still present where it remains. What is decided in a secret meeting (drinking party?) of uncles is absolute. No opinions are needed. Don't think about it. You are required to be an obedient robot, in other words, a moron. If we continue to be obedient like that, perhaps someday our turn will come around and we will be on the side of making decisions. In order to do so, we must be obedient to the superiors and, to some extent, oppressive to the subordinates.
 
Japan's birthrate continues to decline. 750,000 babies were born in 2023. That is about 1/3 of the number when I was a second baby boomer. Elon Musk has said that if things continue like this, Japan will be gone. It is a bit of an exaggeration, but it is not a lie. When people fulfill the orders of their great uncles and demonstrate their obedience by working long hours, families are neglected and the burden on women becomes heavier. JTC's way of working is not sustainable.
 
Japan's productivity has stagnated in 30th place out of 38 OECD countries. It seems to me that this is due to the fact that we are following the policies set by our uncles too obediently, in other words, we are cooperating too much. Now the answer is not particularly clear, and there is nothing we can do about it by continuing in the past. A low probability of success is required, based on a few failures. Furthermore, no one is immune to mistakes. In such a situation, diversity is essential to increase the odds of winning. So each of us must make our own voice heard. If we are forever cooperating, we will remain lazy and sluggish.
 
Recognizing the Pile that Comes Out
Daikin Chairman Noriyuki Inoue