Rhine Essays: Internal Internationalization

July 18, 1997 From the Rhine Essays: Basel, Switzerland Report

Essays

I am often told that because I have worked for international organizations for a long time and lived abroad for many years, I have already become an "international person."
Whenever I am told this, I am always puzzled.
I have worked abroad for a long time—seven years in Washington for the IMF (International Monetary Fund) and now eight years in Switzerland for the BIS (Bank for International Settlements)—but I always think of myself as an average Japanese person.
I have to speak English for work, and there are many times when French or German is necessary at parties and the like.
However, I always feel that my knowledge of Japan and my bonds with Japanese people are my strengths within international organizations.
Looking around, while there are British, French, and German people, there are not many "international people."
If I had to say, children who were born to parents of different nationalities (e.g., British and French), raised and educated in Switzerland, can speak English, French, German, and Swiss-German almost as well as a native, and can live anywhere, so I think they are close to being so-called international people, but perhaps they are just local Europeans, so to speak.

However, compared to those who have only lived in Japan for a long time, I am a little proud that I find life abroad more comfortable and am better at enjoying it.
I have also begun to notice that even though they live in Basel, Switzerland, many local Swiss people do not want to go abroad much.
I have also come to understand that even within the same European Community, it is not that common for people to cross borders to work or marry.
It seems to be a fact that in many countries and regions, not just Japan, internationalization has not actually progressed that much.
How much one has come to accept the heterogeneous in a country, city, company, or home—in other words, "internal internationalization"—seems to be important.
Internal internationalization is concentrated in how Japanese people in Japan interact with Japanese people from other regions.
For example, when people from Tokyo or the Kanto region encounter the dialects of Akita or Kagoshima, do they not demand that they speak in standard Japanese or look down on them?
What about the tolerance to warmly accept different cultures?

Do they not act exclusively in groups based on the same hometown, school attended, or company?
In every country, there is more or less a tendency for the same groups to gather, but I think this tendency is somewhat stronger in Japan.
It may have changed recently, but I have heard that in places like government press clubs, only those with certain qualifications could attend press conferences, while others were excluded; however, it would be fair treatment if anyone who wishes to participate can do so.
There used to be cases where alumni associations of the same school or company OB associations would arrange marriages for their children, but it would be fairer if these were like private matchmaking clubs where anyone who wishes can participate.

In fact, this inequality of access, including the flow of information, seems to be the biggest reason why Japanese society, companies, and organizations are called opaque and unfair.
I sometimes hear complaints that when they demanded that American or foreign contractors be allowed to bid on the construction of a certain international airport, they allowed it, but in the end, only a Korean contractor bid, and not a single American contractor came; but that is fine, and everyone is satisfied if they know they can participate if they want to.

This may be common not only to Japan but also to Asian countries including China, but there is a tendency to prefer rule by man over rule of law.
In Japan, there is a climate that does not like to make legal systems sophisticated or to resolve disputes through trials.
The idea is to respond flexibly to changes in the situation by not making laws too detailed and by giving discretionary power to the administration.
This has functioned well when the general public had deep trust in the administration and there was little participation by non-Japanese.
However, now that these two premises have collapsed, I think the room for choice is narrow.
I think the time is just around the corner when an Anglo-Saxon-style, sophisticated legal system will be necessary in Japan as well.
I think the good old days when people trusted each other and did not easily resort to lawsuits have been washed away before the rough waves of internationalization and globalization.

Another important thing is that I think there are two flows: the principle of nationality by blood and the principle of nationality by place of residence.
I am not an expert, so I do not know the details, but for example, in the United States and France, people born in each country can automatically or easily acquire the nationality of that country.
In contrast, in Japan and Germany, it seems difficult to acquire the nationality of the country even if one is born there, unless both parents or one parent is Japanese or German.
I think that even in Japan, before the Meiji era, there was a history of warmly welcoming immigrants from the Asian continent and the Korean Peninsula as an advanced region.
I think that generously and flexibly granting nationality as a new Japanese person to those who wish for it, while gaining the consensus of the people, will revitalize Japan and also respond to the people of many countries who warmly welcome Japanese people, but what do you think?

Then, another interesting thing is that the Japanese view of Japanese people who are active and living abroad is subtle.
For example, I think many Japanese people felt unhappy when Keiko Kishi married the French director Champy.
I felt that many Japanese people were overjoyed when Keiko Kishi separated from director Champy and returned to Japan.
I also think the reaction of the Japanese media was mean-spirited when Nomo transferred to the American Major League.
I often hear stories that because there are many regulations in Japan and it is difficult to work, excellent individuals and companies are trying to leave Japan one after another, and Japan will become hollowed out, which is a serious problem.
What is missing from this perspective is empathy and sympathy for whether Keiko Kishi or Nomo are happy or are active with a sense of purpose in life.
The idea that if an individual is happy, their contribution to the group—in this case, the Japanese entertainment world or baseball world—is not that important, is missing.
People and companies that have tried to leave Japan must be contributing to that country and region; from a global perspective, not just from Japan's perspective, if the person is happy and active there, I feel it will eventually be for everyone's benefit.

About eight years ago, when I came to the Bank for International Settlements, I told an executive, "I am happy that Japan can now contribute in various ways to international organizations." He replied, "Yukio, instead of that, seek your own happiness here."
I still vividly remember feeling as if scales had fallen from my eyes.

Thoughts of an elderly programmer

Due to the overseas expansion of factories, the number of Japanese people living abroad is increasing.
According to Mr. Iura, "Just going to or living abroad does not make one an international person. Children who were born to parents of different nationalities (e.g., British and French), raised and educated in Switzerland, can speak English, French, German, and Swiss-German almost as well as a native, and can live anywhere, are closer to being international people.
It is important how much one has come to accept the heterogeneous in a country, city, company, or home, and this is 'internal internationalization'."

In Japan, too, the number of overseas tourists is increasing, and the number of foreign children in school classrooms is increasing.
This means that the number of foreigners has increased, but it does not seem to mean that internationalization is happening.
There are aspects of this that I am not convinced by.
However, I sympathize with the idea that 'empathy and sympathy for whether Keiko Kishi or Nomo are happy or are active with a sense of purpose in life' is important.

Supplement

The above article is a reprint of the 'Rhine Essays (Yukio Iura)' from around 1997.
At that time, Mr. Iura posted the posthumous work of the chief priest of my hometown, "Mother's Taste", on the Web, and it is now published by the chief priest's son.
I remembered being taken care of in this way at that time, and I was reprinting it.

One day, suddenly, the table of contents for the 'Rhine Essays' became searchable.
However, the link to the article from here is broken.
This may be the reason why it has not appeared in searches until now.
Therefore, I will continue the reprint work as before.

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