Ticket to Success

this regard, Japan sets a commendable example to follow. An American author wrote a book about Japan titled “Japan as Number One.” In this 250-page book, the author shows how Japan, after suffering total defeat in World War II, managed to bounce back and even challenge its conqueror, the United States. According to the author, the Japanese became masters of change instead of victims. While other countries were wrecked by outside forces, Japan came out stronger. “Thus, they became the masters of change rather than the victims. Other countries were devastated by foreign influence, but Japan was invigorated.” — Ezra F. Vogel, Japan as Number One, Harvard University Press, London 1979, p.256. According to the author, Japan’s remarkable success mainly comes from its transformation following military and political setbacks. Japan shifted its focus from warfare to the pursuit of knowledge. In the third chapter of the book, the author highlights a single key factor behind Japan’s current achievements: the continuous passion for learning shared across the Japanese nation. The author writes: When a foreigner visits Japan, Japanese people often instinctively think, “What can I learn from this person?” Similarly, the three million Japanese who travel abroad each year aim to find new ideas and concepts to bring back and use in their own country.