American people are not rough and ready

"American people are rough and Japanese people are precise"

That is stereotype image that Japanese people think.

However, it's not true.

American people are precise.

I've been living in America for three years. Without doubt, I sometime feel like American people are rough in daily life. For instance, messy writing, getting incorrect change and postal delay, but these are just one aspect of American people.

So, what is precise in American people?

It’s their strategy for achieving their goal. It applies well in business and private scenes as well.

For instance, American government makes in-depth strategy for accomplishing their goal. They consider about every possibility including failure and set the countermeasure ideas, then they carry it out. As for TPP, we can see this concept that American government made the strategy which gives a lot of advantages to America in the negotiation and then they put it in action. 

It's completely different from Japanese government who act without deeply thinking about every possibility and then they fall behind the curve.

As for business, Apple also is running with really precise strategy.

One thing that I was surprised recently was the Apple TV's remote control bar.

It's made by milling from one solid aluminum bar.

It has amazing quality that people say "Only Apple could have done it"

I know it costs too much, but Apple got a strong position and image.

In addition, they secure high profitability at the same time.

Yes, Apple set their goal clearly that gives people the image that Apple means good design, then they made the precise strategy.

So, they invest maximally to everything they need with no trace of hesitation

and they cut all inessential things for them. Of course, they seem to think cost cutting for using same way to make other Apple products.

http://manirazaghi.com/disassembling-the-unibody-aluminum-apple-tv-remote/

As for a hobby world, there are a lot of people who have a better precise hand than Japanese. In motorcycle custom, they are very particular about the detail.

One American person is making amazing details in origami world that Japanese people are good at.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2079227/Origami-creatures-piece-paper-talented-Brian-Chan.html

Meanwhile, I think it's true that Japanese people are basically precise.

However, I think their disadvantage point is that Japanese people tend to focus on the detail too much and they lose their big picture. If Japanese people design a remote control like Apple TV's one, they will focus on adding function, using a lot of color for easy use and saving the cost as much as possible. As a result, it becomes a complicating product.

Look at from another perspective, Japanese people look closely in equal.

American people tend to look at big pictures, but they don't care about other areas.

I think American people are not interested in small branch and leaves.

Then it causes small mistakes and rough finish in their daily life.

In conclusion, American people are not rough and ready.

American people are precise. They set a final goal clearly and make a precise

strategy including failure and the countermeasure ideas and then they conduct it.

Instead, they cut everything they don't need.

I think that what Japanese people need to learn from America.

As for diligence, Vietnamese are much better than Japanese.

As for ambidexterity, Chinese are much better than Japanese. I think it's about a time that Japanese people should throw out their old glory and go forward to the next stage. Referring to Soichio Honda saying "As for the spear, pulling speed is much important than stabbing speed.

Written in Jan 24 and revised Feb 10