I am not sure with patent and resin issues, but at least for the production issue, I think that the technology and know-how of Japanese manufacturing industry should be able to help a lot.
Japanese people normally say that the core competency of Japanese manufacturing industry is "technology" but it is too vague, and sometimes incorrect. When we talk about the technology, it often means technologies which are applied to the products. However, in my opinion, what Japanese can contribute to the world is mainly in aspect of agile transfer process with high reliability. For example, when I was working in a motor (not automobile, but a small tiny parts in electronics or likes) manufacturer, Taiwanese or Chinese makers were usually better than us in terms of cost and responsiveness, and we were almost in the same range in terms of specs of the products. However, Taiwanese and Chinese competitors often messed the customer's schedule up with quality or delivery issues, though it was very rare in our company. I think that Japanese companies have had to get used to responding to the super high requirement of Japanese OEM's such as Toyota, Panasonic, Sony, etc., requesting to make the schedule without sacrificing productivity, line capacity, and process capability. Due to this, it is natural for them to establish mass production really fast and make the lines produce less defects.
My assumption is only based on my experience in only one company, so I am totally not sure, but I think that we should highlight this point more.
Changing the topic...
Looks like 3D printer is still a hot topic in the US. It's been almost 2 months after I returned to Japan, but I do not see 3D printer is mentioned in the media that much.
(Looks like Nikkei, the biggest business journal in Japan, is following with a huge interest, though.)
One of the biggest reason 3D printer is, I guess, that it would jeopardize Japan's small and mid companies, which are engaged in manufacturing. In Japan, companies with less than 300 employees represents more than 99% of manufacturing industry, and they employ more than 75% of employee there. I do not know the exact data, but most of them focus on small-batch manufacturing, such as prototyping and sample, and if 3D printer becomes very popular in R&D process in Japanese big manufacturers, they will lose their jobs. 3D printer will jeopardize tooling industry as well, because customization of small stuff will become popular and they can do that without making tooling.
This could be a really big issue for the future of industries in Japan, and job market.
Arthur C. Clarkeという作家の本がとても好きで、中学生の時に初めて触れて以来、その当時に出ていた本はほとんど全て読んだと思います。代表作として有名なのは「2001年宇宙の旅」でしょう。S. キューブリックの映画として有名ですが、その原作となっている本であり、これに代表されるように、数多くのSF小説を書いた作家です。(残念ながら2008年に亡くなっています)
また、Ciscoがインターネットが現在進んでいる方向としてThe Internet of Thingsを示しているように、この先ネット上に流通、蓄積されていく情報の出所、そしてそこで加工された情報を使う場所は人間だけに限られなくなります。世界のあらゆるところにセンサーを張り巡らされて情報が集められ、それをベースにして個々の末端でそれぞれ必要な情報を必要なカタチに加工して判断できるようになります。或いはどこか巨大な中心部で必要な分析や判断を下したり、といったことがされるようになるのであろうと予想されます。(個人的には、巨大な中枢が存在する、というのはものごとの在り方に反しているのではないかと思いますが)
I encountered the philosophy of John Dewey, when I was a student of the University of Tokyo. It helped me a lot to build my belief about the natures of human being as below.
- A human being can only live in the circumstance filled with other humans or beings.
- A human being interacts and influences each other (humans or beings).
- A human being learns from the experience of interactions with or influence from other humans or other beings.
- A human being keep rewriting his/her knowledge based on new experience he/she gets.
- A human being feels pleasure and fun of making new knowledge or things by interaction and collaboration with others.
- A human being feels happy if those knowledge and things are appreciated in the society.
In case these natures are not fulfilled or realized, it is not because he/she does not have these natures, but because the circumstances he/she has grown and been is forcing him/her to hide them, and this is unhealthy, even him/herself does not recognize it.
Every human being grows in different way as every experience is completely individual and no one can share that fully. So every human being differs each other, and because of this, the condition that each individual can fulfill its natures is different. This condition varies even for the same person as he/she keeps changing.
I believe that every human being has right to seek for fulfilling these natures paying respect for the same right of each other. The thing that prevents people to seek for fulfilling their natures should be removed. The things bring fear for poverty, difference, being refused, failure, isolation etc.
I believe that this can be done by making some system that helps people to connect and collaborate to solve issues. This system has to help the people to establish and enhance their skills and expertise. This should be done by government, but authority draws too many things that jeopardize the people's effort, and local government cannot work beyond the spatial boundaries. We should establish the other platform on the internet.
Then... what do I have to study to design and operate this system? This is the biggest question I need to solve now. Is it social system design, maybe?
I think it is true that the tide is rising. Japanese youth have become choosing the life not protected & spoiled by corporation. But most Japanese people will stay in the predictability and comfort of 'parent to child', instead of the possibility of greater freedom, creativity and choice. Most Japanese people fear to be unique and alone, as they feel like being isolated from society and community.
But I believe that every person has and yearns for the destiny to be a part of creation in collaboration with others, and the current situation that the people are preventing each other to take risk and be unique to realize that destiny is unacceptable for me.
So I would like to work increasing the number of people to step out for the freedom. It is a kind of liberation. Liberation from "Kaisha" feudal system. The question is, "where and what is the key for that?" Some part of the social system needs to be changed, and it could be achieved by implementing/materializing some kind of service or community which provide lots of opportunities and connection for those people. Service, training, education, places for collaboration, socializing, fund raising, discussion, team employment, etc.
I need to choose my way so that I can analyze and evaluate the circumstances, and design, implement and manage the process. Could be social system engineering. Could be organizational development. Not sure yet...