But you know, having spent a fair amount of time in Japan, looking around and talking to Japanese co-workers there, it seems to me as if the Japanese's forte is improving things. Not inventing things. You give them a toaster, and they will turn it into toaster that also microwaves your food, plays mp3s, acts as a robopet, and sets up a security perimeter around your house.
But you have to give them the toaster.
As an engineer at Toyota, I can back this up 100%! I don't think the Japanese have ever invented anything, but you give them an idea and they'll do some amazing things with it.
Glad to learn this is not only my observation, but the observation of others who have some familiarity with the Japanese and their love affair with improving technology (I worked for a cutting edge internet security company at the time I was spending several weeks a year working in Japan).
I think the reality of the situation came to me, of all places, in the ladies room of our Tokyo offices. As you know, the Japanese add all KINDS of bells and whistles to your basic toilet. I mean, jeez...sometimes I think you need a degree in engineering, just to go to the potty in that country. Seat warmers, bit squirters...you name it. But the add-on that finally took the cake for me was a button you press to make a toilet flushing SOUND without actually flushing the toilet. Out of curiosity, I pressed that button (yes, I am one of those who cannot resist pressing buttons I have no business pressing) and when I witnessed the result, I was like "What the FUCK!
I mean, WHY?" I then inquired about this button to some of my Japanese female co-workers, and they told me that in Japan, women are very modest and do not like anyone (not even other women) to hear them making 'bathroom sounds'. So in order to avoid anyone hearing them, they very often flush the toilet to cover up the 'bathroom sounds'. And then flush the toilet again once their business is done. So two flushes per trip to the potty, per woman. And a LOT of water wasted.
The Japanese's solution to this problem, however, was not anything like what the American solution would be. We Americans would probably have a regular cultural revolution around the idea of a woman's right to poop out loud without fear.
The Japanese, on the other hand, simply re-engineered the toilet (for only about their millionth time, probably) and installed a button on the toilet which generated a flushing SOUND without actually flushing the toilet. And Japanese women press that button to cover up the 'bathroom sounds'...and then flush only when they need to actually flush.
Unbelievable. What a country!
The Soviet Union collapsed to mostly positive effects, but didn't cause any huge disruptions to global civilization; I suspect the collapse of the United States would have more impact and weigh much more toward the negative.
