Perfect Doesn't Make Good Practice

[Mulboyne]

Greenbiz.com: Japan's Obsession with Perfection May Be Thwarting Sustainability
I just saw something amazing on TV here in Tokyo. Ito-Yokado, the Walmart of Japan, is now selling slightly damaged produce at steep discounts in all of their stores. The reporter bit into a slightly dinged apple and declared that it actually tasted good. Her co-host was in shocked amazement. In thirty years of coming here, I've never seen anything but perfect fruit for sale...The Japanese are insane over perfection...The same is true in the building industry. Clients will drive contractors nuts over minor flaws. If the natural pattern in a stone tile is displeasing, they'll ask to have it replaced...All of this adds up to tons of waste -- the kind of waste that cannot be easily recycled and instead gets incinerated...Another phenomenon that defies the imagination is the growing use of spray deodorizers, like Febreze. Kids are buying clothes at Uniqlo and spraying them with deodorizers between wearings -- instead of washing them, which would make them look less new. After two or three rounds of this, the garment, which is dirt cheap, is simply tossed out. It's the one-use, disposable chopstick phenomenon applied to everything...Well, recessions have a way of making environmentalists out of any consumer, even a fastidious Japanese consume...Japan is making great strides in sustainability with their electric cars, their advanced energy schemes and their embrace of Kyoto Protocol goals, but their obsession with perfection is thwarting progress on the most fundamental understanding -- the idea that perfection is ultimately unsustainable...more...

[Coligny]

I think their biggest problem is that they don't know how to maintain anything...

[Taro Toporific]

I posted the following rebuttal of the author's "reasoning"...

[INDENT]Rick "Shit4brains" Seireeni wrote
>>In thirty years of coming here, I've never seen anything but perfect fruit for sale...The Japanese are insane over perfection...<<

I just choked a discounted, over-ripe fig reading this malarkey.

Damaged and a bit too ripe fruit are ALWAYS available discounted in markets especially smaller mom-n-pop green grocers. Once neighborhood shopkeepers learn my preferences in the course of neighborly banter, they will remember to offer me special deals on less-than-perfect food items.

>>used cars<<

Yes, used cars are deeply discounted compared to the US, but used car lots count for 30+% sales in Japan. Almost EVERY Japanese neighborhood has used car dealers.
Japanese have a residual dislike of all used items (in Shintoism objects gain the spirit of their owners, often the negative spirit), However, there are plenty of "Recycle Stores" including the ubiquitous chain of "Book Off" "Hardware Off" which is like the McDonalds of recycling stores--something that eco-primitive North America doesn't have yet.


>>...The same is true in the building industry. Clients will drive contractors nuts over minor flaws. If the natural pattern in a stone tile is displeasing, they'll ask to have it replaced. Wood paneling must match perfectly to the others.<<

Yes, Japanese clients will drive contractors nuts over minor flaws. However, contractors will drive clients nuts over the WORST-quality-in-the-world linoleum, wood flooring, wall coverings, trim, painting, zero insulation, single pane windows, etc. Japan's construction industry is just shameful outlier to all rationality.


>>Tatami mats, which can last ten years, are frequently tossed after a year or two when sunlight fades the natural fibers. All of this adds up to tons of waste -- the kind of waste that cannot be easily recycled and instead gets incinerated.<<

Yes, tatami mats are a poor flooring choice in terms of longevity, but after after a year or two the tatami is flipped over NOT thrown out.


>>How about BYOB, bring your own bag? It's almost unheard of here except at a few enlightened organic groceries...<<

EVERY Japanese supermarket chain and most convenience stores offer some kind of eco-bag or plastic bag recycling---Just the read Japanese signage at the checkout lane (unless you are a Japanese-illiterate tourist).

Bottom line: Rick "Shit4brains" Seireeni's armchair anthropology is just plain wrong.
[/INDENT]

[Taro Toporific]

I think their biggest problem is that they don't know how to maintain anything...

Japanese don't like maintaining things because they rather have the "trendy." As I just mentioned in my previous post, Japanese have a residual dislike of all used items because on Shintoism objects gain the spirit of their owners, often the negative spirits.
That is, maintained, older things have bad juju..

[Mike Oxlong]

Japanese don't like maintaining things because they rather have the "trendy." As I just mentioned in my previous post, Japanese have a residual dislike of all used items because on Shintoism objects gain the spirit of their owners, often the negative spirits.
That is, maintained, older things have bad juju..

Does that include vintage bottles of wine, Stadavarius violins, and Monet paintings?

[6810]

I posted the following rebuttal of the author's "reasoning"...
[INDENT]Rick "Shit4brains" Seireeni wrote
>>In thirty years of coming here, I've never seen anything but perfect fruit for sale...The Japanese are insane over perfection...<<

I just choked a discounted, over-ripe fig reading this malarkey.

Damaged and a bit too ripe fruit are ALWAYS available discounted in markets especially smaller mom-n-pop green grocers. Once neighborhood shopkeepers learn my preferences in the course of neighborly banter, they will remember to offer me special deals on less-than-perfect food items.

>>used cars<<

Yes, used cars are deeply discounted compared to the US, but used car lots count for 30+% sales in Japan. Almost EVERY Japanese neighborhood has used car dealers.
Japanese have a residual dislike of all used items (in Shintoism objects gain the spirit of their owners, often the negative spirit), However, there are plenty of "Recycle Stores" including the ubiquitous chain of "Book Off" "Hardware Off" which is like the McDonalds of recycling stores--something that eco-primitive North America doesn't have yet.


>>...The same is true in the building industry. Clients will drive contractors nuts over minor flaws. If the natural pattern in a stone tile is displeasing, they'll ask to have it replaced. Wood paneling must match perfectly to the others.<<

Yes, Japanese clients will drive contractors nuts over minor flaws. However, contractors will drive clients nuts over the WORST-quality-in-the-world linoleum, wood flooring, wall coverings, trim, painting, zero insulation, single pane windows, etc. Japan's construction industry is just shameful outlier to all rationality.


>>Tatami mats, which can last ten years, are frequently tossed after a year or two when sunlight fades the natural fibers. All of this adds up to tons of waste -- the kind of waste that cannot be easily recycled and instead gets incinerated.<<

Yes, tatami mats are a poor flooring choice in terms of longevity, but after after a year or two the tatami is flipped over NOT thrown out.


>>How about BYOB, bring your own bag? It's almost unheard of here except at a few enlightened organic groceries...<<

EVERY Japanese supermarket chain and most convenience stores offer some kind of eco-bag or plastic bag recycling---Just the read Japanese signage at the checkout lane (unless you are a Japanese-illiterate tourist).

Bottom line: Rick "Shit4brains" Seireeni's armchair anthropology is just plain wrong.
[/INDENT]

What he said. The alternative universe that some of these reports on Japan come from is just plain retarded. If only the writers spent a bit more time or got literate we wouldn't have to keep reading this shit.

[Taro Toporific]

[quote="Mike Oxlong"]Does that include vintage bottles of wine, Stadavarius violins, and Monet paintings? ]
Actually, I am friends with the Emperor's former music teacher and family who own both a Guarneri viola and cello (contemporary-to-the-Stradivarius, circa 1670s) among other such classic instruments. They have mentioned to me that they feel "uncomfortable" using an instrument with so many former owners, and that the Emperor himself refused to touch these classic instruments.

In terms of collecting, Japan's antique market is barely 25% as large as Western countries, and this has a lot to with the cultural bias against used things.

[Behan]

[Samurai_Jerk]

maintained, older things have bad juju..

I think you've just solved the mystery of why Japanese men like prepubecent girls.

Anyway, I get so fucking sick of reading about "hundred dollar mellons" and perfection. These assholes come here for one year on an expat budget and do all their shopping at Queen's Isetan and in the basement of Mitsukoshi and pretend like that represent typical Japan. I know they know better but why tell the real story when lazy reporting and bubble-era stereotypes are soooo much easier?

[xenomorph42]

Japanese don't like maintaining things because they rather have the "trendy." As I just mentioned in my previous post, Japanese have a residual dislike of all used items because on Shintoism objects gain the spirit of their owners, often the negative spirits.
That is, maintained, older things have bad juju..

Back in the day when I was still living in the states, I used to work for a company "Circuit City" and car stereos and home audio products. Japanese only bought products that were made in JAPAN. If they purchased the product and found out that it was made in China, Taiwan, Korea or the absolute worse, USED, they would bring it back and ask for either a refund or complain. Used is a seriously dirty 4 letter word in this country.

[Coligny]

Back in the day when I was still living in the states, I used to work for a company "Circuit City" and car stereos and home audio products. Japanese only bought products that were made in JAPAN. If they purchased the product and found out that it was made in China, Taiwan, Korea or the absolute worse, USED, they would bring it back and ask for either a refund or complain. Used is a seriously dirty 4 letter word in this country.

Dude... The made in japan/made in china is unfortunately not without reasons. Back when MiniZ from Kyosho where a novelty in yurop, magazines started to test the difference between the japan made one for the japanese market or the chinese made on behalf of kyosho for the export market. The conclusion was clear, either go with an official import and end up with overpriced crap, or pay much more to have the right thing... These days... I don't know if there is still a lot of madinjapan

[pheyton]

There is something to be said about perfection. I for one am grateful the Japanese pursue it.

[Coligny]

There is something to be said about perfection. I for one am grateful the Japanese pursue it.

Dere... fixed for ya...

[Ketou]

Dere... fixed for ya...

I approve of this post.

[Iraira]

Glad we've got this thread back on "the one-track mind" track. Nothing wrong with a used girl...they cry less, although tears often make a good lubricant.

[Coligny]

Glad we've got this thread back on "the one-track mind" track. Nothing wrong with a used girl...they cry less, although tears often make a good lubricant.

Yup, after being roughed up by few former boyfriend they are usually more realistic in their expectation. And same as cars... used ones comes with heavy discount...


BTW... Tarochan... you can't flip over a tatami, 1st usually the bottom is rotten because of humidity. 2nd... the same bottom just have the sewing for the top layer. and usually show the filling... made of discarded newspaper... (at least, it's the rule for Aichi, now in your rich city town with electricity and indoor plumbing, maybe it's better)

[Greji]

BTW... Tarochan... you can't flip over a tatami, 1st usually the bottom is rotten because of humidity. 2nd... the same bottom just have the sewing for the top layer. and usually show the filling... made of discarded newspaper...

But what if even with that, the bottom of your tatami looks better than the top?

[Coligny]

[quote="Greji"]But what if even with that, the bottom of your tatami looks better than the top?
]


Put a cheap carpet held by tatami carpet's pin. It's not such a bad solution in fact. You can be clumsy without having to write off everything you drop. Here mah clinic is 100% bombproof concrete. I have killed by clumsyness several hard drive, phone, RC cars chassis, keyboards, even a pyrex cake plate, the explosion upon crashing was so violent that the noise gave me a migrena for 2 days straight and 1 year after I still find parts of broken glass here and there... (baby bottles were also quite good in the 'stuff goes boom' category)


Also... office chairs with wheels are good at turning tatamis into barn-like hay litter

[Greji]

Put a cheap carpet held by tatami carpet's pin. It's not such a bad solution in fact. You can be clumsy without having to write off everything you drop.

I tried that, but it ate the carpet.....

[Coligny]

I tried that, but it ate the carpet.....

ok, let me guess... you also have things in your fridge that stares back at you when you open the door ?

[Greji]

ok, let me guess... you also have things in your fridge that stares back at you when you open the door ?

They're a little more daring than that. If you get to close, they'll drag you inside the fridge and slam the door....

[Mike Oxlong]

They're a little more daring than that. If you get to close, they'll drag you inside the fridge and slam the door....

You've just given the FG in Fukuoka with a freezer problem an alibi...