Nipponized Confucian Ethos or Incentive-Compatible Institutional Design: Notes on Morishima, “Why has Japan Succeeded?”

Abstract

In his well-cited book, Morishima offered a cultural explanation of the Japanese economic success. Thus, first, the Nipponized confucianism breeds political loyalty and, second, this bushido ethos spawns the discipline and efficiency in the modern Japanese labor. However, the facts he cited have not convinced us on either points. Political loyalty is not more conspicuous in Japanese history than in the political life of other societies. Loyalty in the Japanese workplace seems to have evolved in corporations which practice modern principles of scientific management long after the passing of the bushido institution. [800]

^*I would like to thank Professor Morishima for kindly answering me in private correspondence. I still fail to share his view that Confucianism influenced the Japanese public only after the Meiji era. I readily agree that Japanese history is not my specialty. But I exclude sources other than Morishima by choice and not entirely due to ignorance. I find his survey of Japanese history credible, thus I focus upon his interpertations.

^*I would like to thank Professor Morishima for kindly answering me in private correspondence. I still fail to share his view that Confucianism influenced the Japanese public only after the Meiji era. I readily agree that Japanese history is not my specialty. But I exclude sources other than Morishima by choice and not entirely due to ignorance. I find his survey of Japanese history credible, thus I focus upon his interpertations.

Notes

^*I would like to thank Professor Morishima for kindly answering me in private correspondence. I still fail to share his view that Confucianism influenced the Japanese public only after the Meiji era. I readily agree that Japanese history is not my specialty. But I exclude sources other than Morishima by choice and not entirely due to ignorance. I find his survey of Japanese history credible, thus I focus upon his interpertations.