Five types of countries
Yesterday I met the Chairman of India Centre Foundation (ICF), Mr Vidhav Kant Upadhyay. He came to invite me with one of our common friends for extending me the invitation for the Indo-Japan Global Partnership Summit 2010 to be held in Tokyo from 13th to 15th December 2010 to celebrate 10 years of Indo-Japan Global Partnership.
It is said that there are five types of countries in the world – the developing countries, developed countries, under-developed countries, Argentina and Japan. Most of us are aware of the first three types of countries, but of us can read these two countries that are unique.
Argentina is a country blessed with everything from agriculture, minerals to human and natural resources. All that is needed to power economic growth, development and prosperity. Yet the country is mired in a mess, economically as well as politically.
As for Japan, just the opposite holds good. There are hardly any minerals, natural resources or land to support and sustain a large population. Yet it is among the most developed country in the world.
I was in Japan in 2002 for a training program at the AOTS Institute and during that time I studied, travelled and saw the country very closely. Four islands namely Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu forms the island nation Japan.
The main activity centres are Honshu followed by Hokkaido. The other two islands are lowly populated and hardly any activities take place. The main cities of Japan are Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto.
Kyoto is the historical capital of Japan and home to the Royal Family. During my training period in Japan I visited all the three cities and many industrial clusters and units as well. I also saw the Royal Palace (picture).
Japan has too many things that distinguish it from the other countries. As far as land area is concerned it is just about the same size as Germany but 60 per cent of the land is mountainous and can hardly be used. About 22 per cent of the land is suitable for agriculture and the remaining 18 per cent is only available for the purpose of setting up residences, industries and other human uses. Despite land constraints, Japan is one of the most productive nations in the world.
Japan has too many things that distinguish it from the other countries. As far as land area is concerned it is just about the same size as Germany but 60 per cent of the land is mountainous and can hardly be used. About 22 per cent of the land is suitable for agriculture and the remaining 18 per cent is only available for the purpose of setting up residences, industries and other human uses. Despite land constraints, Japan is one of the most productive nations in the world.
The per-kilometre productive capacity is $16.9 million in Japan while it is only $8.2 million per kilometre in the United States. The population density in the USA was 50 persons per sq km against Japan’s 1400 persons per sq km according to 2002 figures.
Despite dense population and low availability of productive land, Japan was the richest country in the world with $3500 average per capita income.
Highly punctual, extremely labourious and full of confidence – these may be the reasons for their success.
There are a lot of cultural similarities between India and Japan. Both the nations are religious, footwears are placed outside the house, the elder person is the head of the family. Girls normally do not work after marriage and take to managing the household. Instead of shaking hands or hugging, the Japanese prefer to gently bow themselves to greet and show respect to others.
During my training I was surprised to know that the main problem of the country was not the population growth but a diminishing population base.
During my training I was surprised to know that the main problem of the country was not the population growth but a diminishing population base.
The average age in Japan is the highest in the world with the male at 77 years and females at 81 years.
As per the projections made in 2002, the population of Japan is estimated to come down to 60 million by 2100 i.e., more than half of 126 million with 60 per cent above 55 years.
The reason behind this is the changing social perception among Japanese girls who think marriages as a detriment to the pursuit of careers and fulfilling their ambitions.
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