> So why are Japanese companies like this? Why do they do so many different things? And how do they manage to do so all those different things so well?
Author says: Japanese companies excel in lots of very different domains because it’s inherent in how they’re structured.
My response: No mention of culture? Sure maybe it is because of how they are structured somewhat, but it's also because of their culture. Japanese are masters of their craft. Look at the best pizza place in the world, the best burger maker in the world.. they are not in Italy or America, but in Tokyo.
Japanese take pride in their work and master their craft. A small pizza-shop owner in Tokyo doesn't make great pizza because of how it was structured. It's cultural. Japan takes Western concepts, and applies an obsessive cultural devotion to mastery (Shokunin).
Look at all the foreign-things Japan is now famous for: Japanese Whiskey, Denim, bread making, Japanese curry, etc.
"Look at all the foreign-things Japan is now famous for: Japanese Whiskey, Denim, bread making, Japanese curry, etc."
I think all your examples are terrible (bread) or overpriced (Japanese Whiskey). There are also a lot of places that are pretty crap in Japan like restaurants where they clearly don't really care.
Compare to Italy that wherever you go everything seems really high quality. I was in a gas station in the middle of nowhere and I had a really great cappuccino for example.
I’ve always had the flip position of this. It’s that the ultra smart Japanese guy doesn’t have that much economic mobility. So he practises excellence in his field. Patio11 pointed out The Sort on his Twitter feed and after that I’ve been convinced of this.
EDIT: I forgot about this other thing. He also does describe a mechanism for that culture.
Look at the best pizza place in the world, the best burger maker in the world.. they are not in Italy or America, but in Tokyo.
That's a bold claim. While I'm sure the average quality in Japan is significantly better than ours, I would put the best pizza places in Jersey, NYC, and CT up against anywhere in the world.
Napoli doesn’t get any consideration?
I'm gonna be honest at tremendous personal expense:
I just don't think Italy _gets_ pizza the way America does.
Napoli: simplest possible ingredients, locally grown, from that amazing volcanic soil, for dirt cheap prices. It’s all about the Marinara and the Margherita.
In America it’s generally lots of ingredients piled on, with prices spiraling out of control.
Anecdote: on a recent trip to Nee York City I was momentarily excited to read about a place making Napoli style pizzas. Then I saw a pie was close to $40. In Napoli that was about €6.
However, when I only had a few minutes before a show I dove into the closest pizza place and got a giant NYC style slice for a little over $5. It was the best meal I had during that trip.
So I think the moral of the story is that the best pizza is the one from the shop closest to you done in the style that city is known for. At least if you’re in NYC or Napoli.
As a new yorker who loves pizza and could talk about it for hours, the median pizza place in naples is way better than the median pizza place in new york. :P
"Italy" as a whole, I make no claims on.
> Japan takes Western concepts, and applies an obsessive cultural devotion to mastery (Shokunin).
Thank you for explaining this. I was alawys amazed how the japanese would take the cuisine from other countries and make it better in all aspects than the country that originated it.
Why are people saying that the Japanese counterpart of other cuisines are better? Have you guys eaten the originals?
OP mentions curry, bread, pizza, etc. Those are things most gaijins complain about when in Japan!
Can't find a proper piece of bread that isn't sweetened, or you find a French chain doing something almost similar but still not on par with breads found in France.
I helped at a pizza shop near Fuji city and while it was not bad, they weren't quite there yet.
I can say that some foods are not bad but saying that they do things inherently better? C'mon now.
Still haven't found a decent thai or indian restaurant in Japan, and probably never will, given the general aversion for strong spices.
> general aversion for strong spices
You can get very hot spicy katsu curry in most Japanese cities.