The Uchi Concept in Japan

I'm just kind of joking here, but...look at the Godzilla movies. They all decide as a whole how best to contend with the Big Guy, then all at once they implement the action to rope him in and escort him out.

I was stationed on Okinawa, Japan in 1965-66 and came to love the island's people, as they seemed to live the concept of "uchi," which means home or family.

I was lost for a two days and two nights hiking along the northern coast, and when I came across the village of ADA I was welcomed like a lost son. I was given food and drink which I very much needed by that time. I did not feel concious at that moment of being an American soldier who was a part of a two decades old occupying force. Uchi comes to mind here.

I visited the Ishimine Children's Home nearly weekly and found it not to have the flavor of an American orphanage, but rather a true Home For Children. Again, the concept of "uchi" was shown.

If the Japanese have adopted the American business theorist's modelsafter WWII then I believe that they have done an excellent job of implementing the theories. Of course, they may have been culturally more prepared to adopt the consensus building and group conciousness than are we as such fiercely independent individuals.

I do believe that we both can learn to adopt beneficial patterns from the other culture.

World citizenship is a worthy concensus building
process that we can all grow toward.

Regards, Jim Harris