Managing for Creativity in Japan » Education

Smoking Husks

Chris Berthelsen — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 02:00:05 +0000

“The education system is based on rote learning and not asking questions. By the time people pop out of the education system (where the goal is to get the highest marks possible so you can get into one of the good universities) they are intellectually burnt out. They are smoking husks. The exam system just burns everyone out. They become good at acquiring information but creativity is more than that, it is making new connections between different concepts and ideas and things.”

Broad Minded Employees

Chris Berthelsen — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 23:00:45 +0000

My staff are foreign educated. One went to the London School of Economics, has lived in Paris, speaks three languages and really loves our industry. Another was educated in America. So, we are dealing with people who are a little bit different, who have a different way of looking at things and have seen other systems in other parts of the world. They are young, and not necessarily steeped in the old ways. They haven’t worked underneath other Japanese companies in our industry so they don’t have this kind of robotic (or moronic) way of working instilled in them. They have a Western outlook towards work, but they are still respectful Japanese individuals…the Japanese companies we deal with on the other hand are just ridiculous.

A Green Plant in the Desert

Chris Berthelsen — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 23:00:59 +0000

“On the one hand you have an ecology which is not supportive of creativity and on the other you have an education system which is not supportive. If you are a green plant in the middle of the desert you are going to die, basically. People don’t like to speak out here, harmony (a key value in a Confucian society) is too important.”