The most striking feature of Japan

As a cosmopolitan Indian, to me, Japan’s most striking feature is this:

Blue collar work ethic, combined with white collar pride in their work.

The Japanese are “Pro” at whatever they do.

You’ll see a woman security guard or police officer standing at attention for hours, even in the quietest of neighborhoods.

She will not lean against the wall, or look around for distractions. Being at attention is her work.

She is dressed sharp and keeps a stoic face (even though she’ll happily return a pleasant smile if you say お疲れ様).

The Japanese cashier at IKEA will not check his phone when there are no customers waiting in line.

You see the same attitude in a Starbucks barista, an usherer, a garbage collection worker, or an engineer or investment banker.

How much of this is healthy vs unhealthy, natural vs forced, etc is immaterial.

What matters in the end is that it has made a big impression — not just on me, but on the whole world, for many years — and it doesn’t cost anything.

What I’d love to see more of in Japan today is ambition. There seems to be a pervasive sense of “life is good, we have enough.”

There is a shortage of leaders (like founders of Sony, Uniqlo, or Softbank) who want to conquer uncharted waters.

But with SO many people with an exceptional work ethic and the ability to take pride in their work, who want to be led, there is a HUGE opportunity for young leaders who have creative ideas and a killer mindset.

It would be really hard to compete with a Japanese leader who has a big vision and the mindset needed for running through walls.

For foreigners especially: there are barriers of language and culture, but if you can bridge them somehow, you could build some incredible companies in Japan.