Notes From The

Book
Shutting Out The Sun
p.6 Innovation tends to flourish in a complex habitat
with diversity where one can adapt to the diversities
of another’s behavior. The new world powered by IT
rewards innovation and critical thinking, because they
are better at serving a market than repetition and
unity.

p.10 Many leaders of great nations like the US and

Japan have sought to preserve their own interests
without regard to the nation’s most innocent and vulnerable (future generations).

p.11 While other nations suffer similar problems, no other nation has so stubbornly defied
the comprehension of outsiders. Why is it that “normal” market economies don’t work in
Japan? How is it that a nation as wealthy as Japan can score so low on global levels of
well-being?

p.13 Like ducks in a pond, everything appears calm and graceful on the surface, but
beneath the surface their legs are kicking franticly in order to stay with the flock.

1. An Arrow Pointed Deep Inside Me

p.16 Approx. one million boys have chosen to withdraw from society, frightened like small
children in a forest.

p.17 80% of hikikomori are male. This problem is completely original on the DSM IV; it is a
social disorder.

p.18 Western nations have anti-social behavior, but it is completely different. The US, for
example, encourages originality and is more willing to accept non-conformists; niche-
careers are possible for hikikomori; they can see and often challenge the intangibles,
which is a problem in Japan.

p.19 The values of parents and young people are completely different. Japan is now paying
for only focussing on the material in the past.

p.20 Japan’s educational system is being questioned; it emphasizes rote memorization

over critical thinking. Young people are beginning to sense that this system doesn’t work in
a global age.

p.21 Japan never engaged in political, sexual and gender revolutions like Western nations.
2. Broken Apart From Others
p.24 Most hide their feelings in order to get along with others; the culture negates
individual spirit. Is there value in tatemae or in telling people what you really think?

p.27 Sekentei is how one appears in the eyes of society; it is a powerful constraint on the
individual, like bullying in a collectivist culture.

p.29 When traveling abroad you may notice that it isn’t as hip or trendy as Tokyo, but
everyone is energetic. Even though poor, many third world countries appear healthier than
sarariman. The eyes of children is very different; all children are shining, none dull, all
genuinely happy.

p.31 Western nations often encourage entrepreneurship, but in Japan it’s the lowest in the
developed world and very hard to get financing.

p.32 Many Japanese unhappy with the current society retreat to the countryside and farm
or do traditional types of work, rather than urban work. Many children now want to become
cooks and carpenters, not business people or bureaucrats.

3. A Long Tunnel
p.41 Passive acquiescence or shikata ga nai attitude is a common societal reaction to
many problems.

p.42 The Japanese system is showing signs of fatigue; many don't want to, or can't,
become adult.

p.43 Hikikomori often abuse their parents; it has become a common type of abuse. Police
are reluctant to get involved, because they don't have the legal tools at disposal. The
nation's first child abuse statue was adopted in May 2000, but was not recognized as a
crime until the following summer. Public consciousness is lagging; denial and shame have
made people slow to acknowledge the problem--"Put a lid on stinky things."

p.45 Bureaucrats are never bold and never willing to take initiative; they follow the
precedent and regulate interferences with the old formulas. In comparison to other nations,
Japanese bureaucrats have far more power and are often connected to politicians. "If it
isn't in the manual, disregard it"--no room for improvisation, compassion or common
sense.

p.46 Kobe earthquake relief complications: emergency rescue dogs from Switzerland were
quarantined for one week and officers assigned to a safe sector were not permitted to
leave their sector to help devastated areas in need of help. After this incident, Japanese for
the first time, began to criticize the rigidity and opaque decision making of their
bureaucrats.
p.47 Foreign pressure has to force Japan to confront its societal dysfunction; otherwise
society will keep running in auto-pilot, without responding to unique situations. More black
ships are needed to encourage Japan to deal with its problems--need expert help.

p.48 Citizens feel powerless against distant, unaccountable bureaucrats. Other nations will
protest and go on strike out of necessity.

4. Personalities “Front” And “Back”

p.51 Japanese parents often tell their children to accept a bully's supremacy. "What have
you done to get yourself bullied?" American parents often contact the school and deal with
the issue directly.

P.52 No moral imperative against bullying in Japan. In 1994, nearly 60% of all JHS report
serious bullying incidents. In 2003 follow-up study, students who refuse to go to school
after being bullied miss an average of 18-24 months of school. Kids using bullying to get
rid of someone who is different; bullied -> futoko (long term school absenteeism) ->
hikikomori.

p.53 In Japan, bullying is common in many sectors of society. "How can we claim
democracy when bullying occurs?"

p.57 For hikikomori to adapt to Japanese society, they have to destroy their insides--kill off
your original voice.

p.58 Hikikomori is a defense mechanism for some individuals against Japanese

conformity.

p.60 Many Japanese live a parasitic life, depending on others for support even after they
grow up. Amae, or dependency, is a cocoon-like bond.

p.62 American's are often looked at as hunters searching for their prey, but Japanese are
farmers, being thought of as flexible, changing themselves based on the situation or
context.

p.63 Japanese realms: parent-child, the workplace and the world of strangers. Japanese
have a strong distinction between soto (tanin) and uchi. The Western belief is that all
people should be treated equally, insiders or outsiders. Western businesses often feel
Japanese "don't tell the truth."

p.69 During the US occupation, the US abolished the imperial system and introduced a
new constitution after the war. They also wanted to abolish the ie system, as it was too
feudal, but Japan adopted this in their corporate life. The ie system has left many young
Japanese disconnected.

p.71 Many suburbs are disconnected. Newcomers remain as strangers, because of the
rigid uchi and soto distinction. They are reluctant to join matsuri or other local events.
p.72 Many of the children are starving for affection from their parents, but open display of
affection is often discouraged. Japanese create a false front at an early age to avoid
abandonment. The front personality avoids confrontation, suppresses their authentic,
individual personality, hindering proper emotional development.

5. Three Japanese Lunatics

p.79 Pressure to create harmony; push everyone together or exclude someone who is
different.

p.80 Japanese schools prepare diligently for standardized exams with rote instruction, but
students don't acquire critical thinking skills--analysis, creativity or independent reasoning.

p.82 Hikikomori is most likely caused by unhappy mothers and intergenerational tension.

p.85 Some wives force their children into hikikomori in retaliation against their husbands,
because their husbands contribute only money to the family.

p.88 Hikikomori will disappear only when Japan society can accept individual expression.
Many are trying to be happy as a group at the expense of the individual. There is a stigma
for people who speak out.

6. Careening Off Course

p.95 The group harmony Japan obsessively tried to conceive through pressure to conform,
resistance to criticism, repression of dissenters and a need to keep outsiders out was a
destructive seed. It not infantalized many of its citizens, but prevent Japan in catching up
with globalization. Japanese have to differentiate between instrumental and ideal.

p.99 Many pre-hikikomori individual left Japan to nurture their talents, such as Nobel prize
winners, Blu-ray inventers and so on. Lifetime employment, company unions and seniority-
based wages reinforce conformity. The iron triangle of corporations, politicians and
bureaucrats keep this cycle repeating. Entrepreneurship and business start-ups conflict
with this anti-Darwinian style of capitalism; Western businesses in Japan are often
confronted by this iron triangle.

p.101 In the 1980s there were voices in Japan suggesting to dismantle state-centered
models of development, decrease emphasis on exports and concentrate on domestic.
Also, to open up its financial markets and give its people more leisure time while
increasing critical thinking in education.

p.102 Major problems arose because Japan consumed far too much export and far too
little domestic. The government kept domestic prices high, discouraging sustainability.

p.105 The essence of Japan's malaise is that it went from promoting winners to protecting
losers.
p.112 In the new world flexibility and adaptability are key; software--not just hardware--
creates true wealth.

p.115 Change is highly obstructed by Japan's lack of a "one man, one vote" policy. Rural
voters hold three times the voting power while they are only a fraction of the population.
This bias favors the older, rural Japanese, rather than city-dwellers.

p.116 Journalists must have a membership to report--no freelance journalists or foreign

correspondents. The reports are discussed together afterward, so each newspaper can
have the same story.

p.117 Japanese newspapers seek to calm, not illuminate its readers. BBC Japan recalls
discussion with senior staff member, "Could you make this less clear?" Deflect
responsibility and obfuscate.

7. The Iron Triangle Of The Psyche

p.121 We must know the why's behind the what's; we must know the values driving the
culture.

p.125 Japanese gaze out, not in, to discern right and wrong.

p.126 Japan ignored the philosophical methods to nurture and support technological
advances.

p.127 The west may admired the Japanese work ethic or craftsmanship, but never adopt it,
as it is inefficient.

p.128 Japan adopted Confucianism from China, but obliterated the mandate heaven ideal;
the top of the pyramid will always remain unaccountable--above reproach.

p.133 Trust is crucial for social capital. North VS South Italians: northerners developed
trusting relations with strangers and encouraged civic engagement rather than patronage.
This horizontal hierarchy created wealth, stability and democracy.

p.136 A collectivist society undermines trust and doesn't allow social capital to accumulate.

p.140 Japan's closed systems impair Japan's ability to innovate or conduct cutting-edge
technology. The young must always defer to their elders.

p.142 By choosing closed, propriety standards for mobile phones, Japan limited its
international potential. Korean Samsung et al. adopted open, international standards and
became powerful in the US and Europe. The average stay in Japanese mental institutions
is the longest in the world, 406 days. Medical service law says one doctor/16 patients, one
nurse/three patients, but the situation is one doctor/48 patients and one nurse/six patients.

p.144 While Japan is so wealthy, it's shocking to discover how cramped, drafty, poorly
constructed and how devoid of style Japanese houses are. Second-rate materials and
government regulations have created "rabbit hutches", as said by French diplomat, offering
little privacy for its citizens. Compare to Seoul, which is more densely packed, but offers
better space to its citizens. Closed markets have kept competition low, without merit.

8. The Cult Of The Brand

p.149 Enjo kosai, also known as compensated dated, in not rare for high school girls and
sarariman.

p.150 Why do so many lower-middle class with marginal income Japanese women lust for
products that western nations consider exclusive for the social elite? "Only in Japan"
phenomenon.

p.153 Brand name goods are a security blanket for many Japanese who have been
discouraged to think for themselves. The more insecure these people are, the more they
desire such brands.

p.157 Some Japanese envy Europeans and Americans who are able to escape from
materialism, usually through some form of spiritualism, yoga, exercise et al. Many
Japanese fill their void with consumption, when other cultures will focus on something
more individualistic.

9. Womb Strike
p.167 Many women yearn to have children, but society is inimical towards working women
hostile towards change.

p.170 There are too many economic disincentives to motherhood. 62% of women without
children believe childrearing would be too expensive and arduous; 1/5 say Japan is no
good for raising children. Japanese are the most pessimistic in comparison to other
wealthy nations. Children are an obstacle.

p.172 Many women want to work for foreign-run firms, as there is no glass ceiling. What
leads many women to marriage nowadays is not love, but pregnancy. Out-of-wedlock birth
in Japan is shameful (1.9% vs. 55% in Sweden), so when an unmarried woman becomes
pregnant, it’s either abortion or marriage. 26% of births were attributed to women pregnant
before marriage, which is double of what it was in 1980. Without pregnancy a woman has
no reason to marry.

p.173 Cohabiting is a way many cultures create independent lives from their parents. 53%
of French live together before marriage, in comparison to 2% of Japanese. Many Japanese
believe they should marry before they live together, while western nations believe
cohabitation is the marriage “tryout” that can lead to a successful marriage. Many
Japanese will live together apart, more specifically, living with parents while in a committed
monogamous relationship.
p.174 The higher a woman’s salary, the less likely she is to marry, while in the US and
Sweden cohabitation and marriage rates increase with salary. In Japan society often does
not allow a woman to have a high-powered career and children. The largest category of
unmarried Japanese men (no more than a compulsory middle school education) tend to
prefer traditional, stay-at-home wives. Highly educated men also tend to prefer stay-at-
home wives, making difficult for highly educated women to find a mate that will liberate
them to have a career.

p.175 The pill was legalized in 1999 after vigorous pressure from foreign pharmaceutical
companies. Doctors claim the pill is unnatural and very harmful, but often enthusiastically
recommend abortion, as it’s more profitable for the medical industry. Ironically, the the
male run medical industry legalized Viagra after six months. The health ministry say the
pill has trouble catching momentum because of social, not medical reasons.

p.176 More than 2/3 of 25-34 year old women with regular sex partners still live with their
parents. These women are Japan’s most robust consumers. They pay no rent or living
expenses, have no debt, but consume mostly foreign goods, heavily damaging the
domestic economy. Disposable income is spent on fashion, rather than apartments or
appliances. These parasitic women, along with the hikikomori, represent the social and
psychological deadlock that contemporary Japan must confront.

10. Marriage In A Homosocial Society

p.179 Many Japanese have trouble engaging in casual social interactions where money is
not involved. Because of the rigid social networks, Japanese find it difficult to develop a
relationship with someone outside of work or the classroom.

p.181 While western nations went through marital and sexual revolutions, Japanese
grasped only onto superficial aspects of western love and marriage. But they are ill-
equipped for love and western-style marriages because they lack individualism and self-
expression.

p.182 Durex surveys in 2001 discovered that Japan ranked last among 28 nations for
frequency of sex with 36 times per year, while the US was first 124. In 2004 the health
ministry concluded that 20% of marriages were absent of sex for one year or more, while
1/3 of married couple did not have sex for at least one month.

p.186 There are many mixed marriages in rural Japan between Chinese, South Korean,
Thai and Filipino women and Japanese chonan, as the rural Japanese women are running
to the city to escape the responsibility of taking care of in-laws and being confined to the
house.

11. Falling Off The Tightrope

p.197 No other wealthy nation has as many suicides for men as Japan, with 36.6/100,000,
which is double the US and South Korean rate.
p.200 People view suicide as virtuous for a shameful act or scandal. It's a way of taking
responsibility for the trouble you caused.

p.202 Mental health professionals suggest that 1/4 Japanese workers are depressed and
on the verge of a classic mental breakdown.

P.203 Japan is second to the US in terms of depressed individuals, but Japan only has
10,000 psychologists for 120 million people. Japanese mental institutions are run privately
for profit and rarely try to reintegrate the individual back into society. "Taking your vacation
time jeopardizes your career, even though you are legally entitled."

p.204 The workplace has to be more transparent. Obsessive devotion to work is one
theory why Japan has created so many national holidays. Mitsui Homes reports that 40%
of married couples request separate bedrooms, often by request of the wife. They live
different lifestyles and don't want to bother each other.

p.205 On paper it appears American's work more than Japanese, but these figures do not
take Japanese overtime or unpaid service into account. Working unpaid, late hours is often
considered very admirable.

p.213 Japanese psychologists claim to be lagging because of medical doctors, as they

have a great deal of money and strong contact with politicians and the economy. They do
not want to lose their position to psychologists. They often prescribe drugs to patients after
a few minutes of diagnosis, rather than lengthy, but effective sessions that psychologists
conduct.

p.214 Japan is too dependent on alcohol as a social lubricant.

p.215 Alcohol consumption is decreasing in most of the world, but in Japan (as well as
England) it continues to increase.

12. Rising Sun And The Hermit Kingdom

p.222 People in South Korea are much more communicative and expressive. Koreans are
entrepreneurial risk-takers, while Japanese avoid risk. Koreans accept individual
responsibility for failure, but Japanese often try to shirk it. Koreans often protest in the
streets for better corporate governance and accountability, while Japanese protesters are
nonexistent.

p.225 In 2002 when Japan and Korea co-hosted the World Cup, Koreans welcomed many
foreigners and formed cheering squads for nations that couldn't attend in large numbers.
Yet, in Japan, the news featured mostly warnings about foreigners. Police were told to
break up groups bigger than ten foreigners, because it would most likely lead to trouble.
Japan was so fearful that many restaurants closed their doors to foreigners.

p.228 In 1997, president-elect Kim forced major conglomerates to be more transparent in

their accounting. Yet, in Japan the PM is too constrained by parliament to attempt such.
The constraints of the PM is clearly visible; it is rare for a Japanese to last more than two
years. In Korea's middle class, many were educated in the US, and upon returning to
Korea, they demanded similar democracy to what they had seen in the US.

p.231 Stakeholder (Japan) vs. shareholder (West) capitalism. Japanese never clearly
define responsibility or accountability, as companies are run like families organized for the
benefits of their employees, and not for people outside their network.

p.235 South Korea developed the skills to adapt to the world, while Japan is mostly
aversive to actual foreign involvement or criticism. Korea is unruly, upbeat, fast-paced,
optimistic and risk-taking, while Japan is the opposite.

p.236 The economic and political architecture, as well as the progressive liberal attitudes
of South Korea were heavily influenced by Christianity.

p.240 Many Koreans were wary of foreigners and the west in the 1880s, but there were
also some who believe the west could help strengthen and protect Korean sovereignty.
While the Japanese adopted western technology, the Koreans also wanted to adopt
western egalitarianism.

p.243 There is a major link between Christianity, individual empowerment and liberal,
progressive thought, which is very different from traditional Asian norms of duty, obedience
and filial piety. Free competition and survival of the fittest became a way for Korea to
become strong and modernize. The strength of the West can be attributed to its quality of
competition, but in Asia, competition is heavily restricted to insiders only.

p.244 Countries have to encourage competition in unison, regardless of class. We have to

compare our cultures and institutions with theirs and help our shortcomings. If our
institutions are superior, we must preserve and develop them further.

p.246 Korea readily accepted Christianity and it heavily influenced their beliefs and social
values. Missionaries uses literacy campaigns to spread the gospel, especially with women.
The church advocated the use of hangul, rather than Chinese characters, as it was much
easier to learn and more modern; very few had the time or education to learn Chinese
characters.

p.248 Koreans did as Americans suggested: separate church and state, just like the public
and private spheres of life. Individual conscience, with inner faith rather than outward ritual,
in addition to empowerment through hard work and frugality, helped evoke strong
sentiments of nationalism and independence during four decades struggle against the
Japanese. Many Korean scholars suggest, the Protestant church is the father of Korean
society’s modernization and civilization. Contrarily, Japan marginalized Christianity and
other foreign faiths while promoting an emperor-centered state.

p.249 The Meiji court asserted it archaic filial piety and loyalty should be the foundation of
Japan’s future. Therefore, social conformity, strong state intervention in daily life and state-
sponsored Shinto eroded Christian beliefs of individual freedom and autonomy, altruism
and universalism.
 p.259 Despite Japan’s educated elite and growing middle class, Western culture, political
ideals and civil society were never adopted like they were in Korea. Japanese failed to
develop alternate networks of trust. In Japan civil liberties may be guaranteed, but real
choice is absent.

p.260 Japanese seem to neither appreciate nor recognize the value of civic discourse,
debate, criticism and self-correction. Democracy was imposed on Japan from the outside
and was weighed down by bureaucratic control, patronage payoffs and a one-party rule.
Dissent disturbs group harmony. Social deviance endangers your social connections;
without the proper relations, your livelihood or education are jeopardized.

p.261 The Korean churches coached its people in forming social networks, building trust
among strangers and accepting universal ethics and individualism, which is something the
Japanese never had.

Hikikomori Nation and Sheltering Uncle

p.262 Japan's global influence began to wither away. The trend went from Japan bashing,
to Japan passing, and now to Japan nothing for much of the global economy. The world
interacts and integrates like rapid-fire, but Japan is isolated and lonely. Few Japanese
emigrate to foreign lands, but those who do tend to assimilate very rapidly, in contrast to
Taiwanese or Chinese nationals who remain in touch with their homeland. There is little
hope for Japanese who have been abroad long-term to reintegrate back into Japanese
society.

p.266 Japanese often describe Japan as semai, but other crowded, cramped and narrow
nations like South Korea and the Netherlands rarely say this. Is it the narrow-minded and
constricted thinking of Japan that makes it semai? Japanese self-detachment has proven
very effective at insulating its people from true foreign influence; bullying, for example,
preserves Japan's unusual sense of collective self, security and well-being.

p.267 Even in this recession, Japan can be admired for its stability and calmness, safe
streets, lack of crime, efficient public transport and respectable scores on standardized
tests. Income on a global level remains high, but as with test grades, not as high as they
once were.

p.269 As with hikikomori, young Japanese feel helpless against the constraints of the
Japanese system. It is a pilotless system that no one can yield.

p.270 Japan is codependent on its parent, the USA. If the USA were to leave Japan
defenseless and reduce Japanese imports in the US market, how would Japan respond?
Would they be able to support themselves? The US has been enabling the relationship, as
it is beneficial for both nations.

p.271 OECD estimates that Japan is 30% lower in terms of productivity than the US, and
last amongst the world's top seven economies. Trade barriers are high and choice is
limited; Japanese leaders know choice is the enemy. If choice were to increase, the
inflexible and closed Japanese system would crumble. The US keeps its market open to
Japan as American customers like the prices and quality of Japanese goods, but why are
American products heavily restricted from Japanese consumers?

p.274 While the most conservative Japanese run the country, the US has continued to
parent this abnormal Japanese market economy. Why does Japan have trouble admitting
war crimes and atrocities? Most likely because many war criminals were promoted to
power to run keiretsu networks of industry. Single party domination and trend of political
heredity is not normal in a democratic society.

p.276 As long as there are US bases in Japan, the US will not follow on their trade
sanction threats.

p.277 Many theories exist to support Japan's aversion to global integration: fear of
immigration,, unwelcoming attitude towards foreign investment and sub par efforts with
foreign language education.

p.278 With the birthrate plummeting, lack of immigration and refusal of many young
Japanese to do the jobs their parents did, Japan will face a major shortage in the labor and
service industry. Japan would be able to alleviate or slow this process if the nation was
more open to foreign workers who might settle and raise families, in comparison to temp
workers.

p.279 Is Japan worried that foreigners may taint national values?

p.282 Japan spends $20 billion/year on English language education, but skills are
constantly among the lowest of Asia, often tied with North Korea.

p.284 Japanese tend to adjust to their social reality of obligations, loyalty, discipline, and
denial, rather than face, confront or try to change it; rather than face this adversity, they are
passive. The more you fight this web, the more you will entangle, therefore struggle. The
only way to change this would be to destroy the nation's hierarchical system, create open
lines of communication and promote self-assertion.

15. A Single Ray Of Light

p.290 Unless adults raise their children in a way that allows them to be free, very few will
emerge from hiding or engage in genuine self-expression. The paradox of contemporary
Japan: society cannot change until the culture changes; the culture cannot change unless
society changes. The boy who was raised by wolves has trouble with civilization.

p.292 Japan and its constant need to adjust as to not cause trouble for others is what
caused Japan to lose its own essence. The system has become a bubble where people
are unable to judge or see its flaws, since they have basis of comparison. Insulation from
outside forces, pressure to maintain social cohesion, even though it is alienating many of
its own people, is preventing Japan from being able to change.

p.293 Japan will eventually fade, as Japan isn't teaching its people to challenge, but to
accept deterioration and decline. Japanese will often apologize, but not search for the root
cause. This doesn't lead anywhere because the same mistake will occur until the design is
changed; absence of spirited inquiry.

p.294 People don't like feedback. The absence of repercussions when things go wrong is
Japan's biggest problem. In the old days Japanese could follow as established and they
would be rewarded. Japan must embrace globalization and decentralize government to
survive as a nation. Nobody in power wants to change. Who can persuade the closed
political and economical world's to open up? No feedback, diffusing power, putting
harmony over friction and stability over competition creates a nation unable to adapt.