Newsweek Editor Faults Japanese Diplomats

[Mulboyne]

JT Kuchikomi: Newsweek editor bashes MOFA
Fareed Zakaria, an editor of Newsweek's international edition...last week, criticized the poor level of English spoken by the Foreign Ministry diplomats. "It's incredible that Japan has failed to secure a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council," the Newsweek editor told his audience. "Japan is the world's second largest economy and contributes $10 billion a year to the organization; yet very few countries have supported its attempts to gain a permanent seat on the council. This is at least partially due to Japan's unrefined and clumsy diplomacy; it possesses no long vision, and the world hasn't accepted it.
...Comparing them with China, here's a huge difference, particularly among those under age 45," he opined. "Chinese diplomats are astute, they all speak English and are savvy about how to get things done at international forums. Japanese diplomats are particularly over concerned with superior and subordinate relationships and are also bureaucratic. They're too quiet, and many of them are unable to speak English
"English is the common tongue of diplomacy and business," Zakaria continued. "Ability to use it says something about the degree a country is progressing in the world. For Japan to rise to a level commensurate with its role in world society, it is going to have to change."

[Greji]

JT Kuchikomi: Newsweek editor bashes MOFA-snip-Japanese diplomats are particularly over concerned with superior and subordinate relationships and are also bureaucratic. They're too quiet, and many of them are unable to speak English
"English is the common tongue of diplomacy and business," Zakaria continued. "Ability to use it says something about the degree a country is progressing in the world. For Japan to rise to a level commensurate with its role in world society, it is going to have to change."

This has got to be another crushing blow to the talking heads in Kasumigaseki!

I would like to have a hyaku yen for everytime I have got into a battle at my office over the bureaucratic process. Everytime we send a delegation to an international conference, there is never a member of the delegation who has the power to make a decision or a committment. They are always required to say words to the effect of "let me take this back to Japan and get a decision/ruling". I forever maintain to them that at most of these conferences, everyone in attendence has the power and/or authority to commit to any proposals, or "deals" on behalf of their organization and/or government and that only Japan continually says "let me ask my boss". Hey, water off a ducks back? I might as well be speaking to them in Swahili!

I do know that sometime it is done by design, so the extra decision time allows them to get their ducks in a line and also see that they will not be on the minority of representatives favoring a topic. But, for the most part, even on topics or committments that a low-level exec or diplomat from elsewhere, could easily okay or accept, Japan will still say "we must seek home office approval".

I get caught in the middle with people overseas calling afterwards and saying what's wrong with those people? Can't they make a decision? It is difficult to explain to them that Japan normally cannot answer any question until everyone in the so-called chain of command, literally from the top to the bottom, has at least heard the issue and in most cases, has had a chance to make an input.

Top that off with them then trying to explain their responses in "katagoto" English, my colleagues from overseas usually end up asking me "how long are you going to stay over there?", which translates to "how can you put up with that shit!"

But, I think Japan needs more hard articles like this to get them aimed in the right direction. But that's still a long way off and probably wishful thinking at best!