A New Vision of Japan Must Emerge to Face the New Century

Yoichi Morishita Vice Chairman, Keidanren President, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

It is already December, and we are on the brink of a new millenium. In one more year, the twenty-first century will unfold.

During this immense conversion period, we Japanese have to thoroughly re-examine our country, quickly establish our vision of its future direction, and work to realize this vision. Today's Japan is facing many challenges, including the need to revitalize the nation's economy. There is a fear that ambition is being lost among young Japanese, and we are focusing an increasing amount of attention on the idea that the uniqueness of human beings is the source of any country's vitality.

Why has the number of young people lacking ambition increased? In order to answer this question, it is crucial to carefully examine how Japanese society has transformed over 50 years since the end of WWII, particularly in the last tumultuous 10 years.

We should be proud of our miraculous growth. However, the concepts of mass consumerism, uniformity, and stability, all of which have been symbols of this growth, have deeply infiltrated the family, the educational system, the corporation, and the community. These symbols of growth have pushed the lifestyles of each member of society towards uniformity. Because this uniformity has not been challenged, it has become embedded in our society. The origin of losing ambition is rooted in the uniformity of people. In addition to uniformity, another cause of this loss is the lack of effort to cultivate the heart and mind, resulting from an increase in people's wealth and the negligent attitude that came about during the bubble economy.

There is an immense variety of abilities and personal qualities throughout the human race. Along these lines, if given a chance to let one's best qualities shine, it is natural that this person will be full of ambition, working to achieve his own goals. To this purpose, the country, the educational system, and the corporation must quickly create new ideas and implement new systems that offer equal opportunities, are performance-based, and allow flexibility in career paths. And at the same time, strong affectionate family and teacher-student ties are required to improve our society, and as a nation, we must consider how to encourage each person to express his uniqueness while guiding the nation on a common path.