DMZ - North and South Korea

I just came back from the de-militarized zone between North and South Korea, and it was an interesting trip. To think that this location has more land mines per square meter than any other is a little un-nerving.

I visited Dongducheon and saw all the notes and sad stories of the families that were caught up in this conflict, and how they just wanted to visit with each other. Then we went to the observatory and saw the DMZ itself, followed by a walk down to the tunnels.

The thing that makes this a little more appropriate is the current "war games" that are being acted out by the USA and the South Koreans. This and North Korea wanting to test fire a missle. Indeed it will be an interesting few days here.

Guest Writers

I recently invited a few of my colleagues to contribute to my blog. Steve (Pop) Tufty and Livia Blaszak may be writing about observations and discoveries of their own on occasion. If you are also interested in writing about sustainability, Asian culture, and other international business related themes, please let me know and I would be happy to add you to the list of writers.

Trucks and Mayonnaise

We went on two factory tours in the last two days. One was at Hino Motors (an affiliate of Toyota) and the other was at the Kewpie mayonnaise factory. Surprisingly, they were both extremely entertaining and our group learned a lot about effective assembly lines in practice. My favorite part of both was the sustainability measures taken in the mayonnaise factory: first, the factory is ISO 14000 certified. Another initiative the factory has taken is to eliminate waste of the eggs used in production, and over the years the company has expanded to use the shells for calcium supplements and chalk; they also use the egg yolks for emulsification and other food products; finally, the egg membranes are sold to cosmetic, medical product companies and others. I am wondering what Japan is investigating in the way of alternative materials to plastics. In the U.S. there are corn substitutes, but I have my reservations about the long-term repercussions. Is anyone familiar with alternative packaging abroad?

Kaizen, Akihabara and Ramen

This morning we heard from two different Japanese businessmen, one hailing from a career in banking and the other involved with Tokyo from the beginning of kaizen, and the process of eliminating waste toward continuous improvement. Even though it is originally a production method, I enjoy thinking about how the Toyota System can be applied to other industries, services and life skills including: studying and time-management.

As we were walking through the department stores in Ginza and the electronic stores in Akihabara, I was wondering what would happen if all retail were produced using "Just In Time," or nearly made-on-demand. Retail outlets have much less space in Japan, so reducing backstock is less of an issue, but I am thinking of back home where stores are crowded with stock items on the floor. Often what is out for consumer purchase does not even include backstock. Then, how is it that I can still go to the store and they will be out of the one item I want? Is it simply poor inventory management? I am not sure if that is the only problem. I know of one clothing retailer that attempted to limit backstock and offer customers incentive to order goods, but they went under and sold their brand to another clothing company. Certainly ordering more goods than can be sold is not a sustainable practice, but who is to blame? Is it marketing's fault for innacurate demand forecasting? Or maybe the customer's for inconsistent purchasing patterns? Personally, I believe sustainability and reducing waste are the responsibility of all.

On a lighter note, we went to a very delicious ramen shop, tucked away in a small alley near Akihabara station, where we pre-paid for our meal in a vending machine-type menu out front and gave our ticket to the cook when we walked in. Very dive-y, but amazing food nevertheless. The walk around the area was refreshing after sitting for so long, and I am looking forward to what lies ahead tomorrow.

Arrival

After ten hours in the air, only one of which involved napping, I arrived safely with
the other 56 members of our cohort. "Slumdog Millionaire," "Man On Fire," and the original cartoon, "The Jungle Book," were the top movies offered. "Four Christmases" was canned after approximately 10 minutes, and I learned through repeated listening that the latest Snow Patrol album is
growing on me.


Arriving in Narita airport felt a little bit like coming home. I lived in Japan August 2003 after graduation from Linfield College, until March 2005 when I returned abruptly due to illness. The first time I traveled here I was also with a large group of foreigners, but it was a butterfly-filled trip and I had been up for several sleepless nights in anticipation of the "other" culture, "other" people, and all things "other" than what I had known before. This flight was not with a group of complete strangers as the last: I was quite familiar with many of the other students and even recruited many of this year's full-time Master of International Management cohort. As we drew closer to landing, I could see the familiar buildings, neon signs and rice paddies that are Japan.


Some things have not changed: the convenience stores and ramen restaurants lining the streets, the traffic, the bustling crowds of business men and women beginning their journey home from work on foot during the 6 o'clock hour (or later...). Other things are a little different: my roommate and I were thrilled to find that we have the option of not cleaning our towels and bedding daily for a 1000 yen (about $10) credit per day, for use on purchases made in the restaurant and gift shop in the hotel. Incentives are great, especially those that help multiple bottom lines.


What will be most interesting about this trip is the newness of the business piece of Asia. While I have lived in this part of the globe before, I was a teacher and often a tourist the last time. This time I am (hopefully) slightly less of a tourist, and more of a student and observer of customs.