Taking the blue line out of O’Hare airport and we are immediately being yanked around in every direction. Whereas in Tokyo, the curvature of the track and maximum speed inputted by the driver were linked.
In Tokyo, whenever I saw a long row of cushioned seats I thought to myself we could never have this in Chicago. It wouldn’t last one day before being barfed or pissed upon.
In Tokyo, Metro trains are equipped with multiple TV screens displaying the next station, number of minutes to arrival, and a diagram of optimal exits in relation to your current car number. In Chicago, we have two or three sheets of cardstock, that are occasionally not even lined up correctly. That’s the map.
The worst part is, JR is privatized, and they still manage to provide this high quality of service. How??
They have a collective culture.
The individualistic nature of North America (and some Europeans countries) works amazingly in certain situations (like driving innovation and competition) but absolutely terribly in other situations (like respect for public amenities or banding together in a pandemic)
What I’m hear from this is collective cultures help societies in ways that matter and individualistic cultures help societies that don’t.
And I don’t disagree. And before someone jumps in with an “innovation” argument, just know that most major innovation was done by public entities, with public research, funded by public taxes/grants.
Japanese work culture is some of the worst in the world.