The Importance of Traditional Techniques - cacci

CACCI Journal, Vol. 1, 2006Like many other countries, Japan still retains its own traditional management styles thateffectively work in Japanese enterprises, especially in local SMEs. Indeed, the so-called Japanesemanagement, universally praised in the 1970s and 1980s, exploited the characteristics ofJapanese business practices. The globally acclaimed Japanese management was unique in thesense that the management styles in local SMEs and even those of big enterprises in headoffices and sales shops were behind the modernization of the 1960s and 70s. All big enterprisesof Japan modernized production lines and sent their engineers abroad to learn frontiertechnologies. Thus the big enterprises of Japan attained top efficiency in production lines inthe mid-1960s. Even so, head offices rejected the rationalization and retained traditionalmanagement styles, even in big enterprises. In some ways, this is what was praised asJapanese management.The globalization of the 1990s extinguished Japanese management systems in largeenterprises. But they are still alive in SMEs in general and local ones in particular. A carefulobservation and analysis of these surviving management systems can be expected to help thedevelopment of new types of business applicationware and business models. The "obsolete"local SMEs with traditional management systems can be key developers of new IT products.In contrast with the weakness in software in general, Japan is strong in game software forgeneral users. Among others, one reason may be the absence of a specialized professionalmarket in sophisticated military game software for political reasons. The absence of demandfor real war games or simulations has driven software makers toward game software for generalusers.Another reason may be the survival or presence of typical Japanese games, which haveprovided the seeds of new ideas for games. Go originally came from China and has beenhighly developed in Japan. The shag; of Japan was originally from Chinese chess but hasbeen revised in Japan. The Chinese-origin mah-jongg has been very popular amongbusinessmen and government officers. Besides these games, local areas retain a variety oftraditional games as their "niches". A collection of such games may be expected to provideseeds for the development of new game software. Local SMEs are well placed for suchdevelopment.Database of traditional techniquesThe Agency of Culture (part of the Ministry of Education) and NHK (the nationalbroadcasting corporation) have taken pictures of local customs, such as traditional festivals,traditional foods, folk dances and others for permanent record. This is extremely valuablefrom sociological and anthropological points of view.A similar project may be proposed to record traditional techniques, includingmanagement practices, in the form of sound, images, written documents and others. Moderntechnologies will find new seeds in these records.Local museums have collected the "ruins and fossils" of old tools, products, pictures andothers, some of which are related with traditional techniques in the areas. Indeed, local museumsdisplay the tools for wine (sake) fermentation in the areas. Local libraries have alsocollected documents and pictures of such things. Similar activities are seen for botanical orzoological gardens, aquariums and the likes. A salmon-fishing village operates an aquarium8