Richard Walton

Maya Matsuoka @mayamatsuoka.bsky.social [ View ] Mar 15, 2024 at 22:52 UTC

Japan Expert Insights' weekly politics sessions: Japanese Politics One-on-One #162 goes live tomorrow at youtube.com/live/6Alt-te...

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Richard Walton @rawmih.bsky.social [ View ] Mar 15, 2024 at 14:25 UTC

I would be interested. In any case, thanks again for sharing your experiences and your time.

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Richard Walton @rawmih.bsky.social [ View ] Mar 15, 2024 at 14:24 UTC

I find all this very interesting. Thank you for indulging me. For the record, I am not thinking there is a real samurai culture connection - I just know it is a popular claim. Drawing comparisons and contrasts might be an interesting exercise. If reading on any of these subjects comes to mind,

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Richard Walton @rawmih.bsky.social [ View ] Mar 15, 2024 at 02:14 UTC

I think the samurai - military (Japanese, US) - business culture (JP, Western) is an interesting nexus to draw similarities, contrasts or lessons, especially since the Japanese themselves so often claim everything (or at least a lot) derives from samurai culture. No hurry, but any input appreciated.

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Richard Walton @rawmih.bsky.social [ View ] Mar 15, 2024 at 02:11 UTC

Many thanks, and this is why I thought you would be the perfect person to ask. I remember your interviews from Samurai Archives podcast, so I was aware you were approaching history informed by a military background.

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Richard Walton @rawmih.bsky.social [ View ] Mar 15, 2024 at 01:15 UTC

You end up with people in their late 40s being told that they need to be leaders and innovative now. After decades of being yes-men this is almost laughable. Obviously, the major leaders in Western business made their breakthroughs/inventions when they were in their 20s. Hope this makes sense and TY

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Richard Walton @rawmih.bsky.social [ View ] Mar 15, 2024 at 01:12 UTC

In a traditional Japanese company, even very large companies, you have lifetime employment, so training is also a lifetime endeavor. People end up knowing the company inside out, but very little about how other companies work.

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Richard Walton @rawmih.bsky.social [ View ] Mar 15, 2024 at 01:07 UTC

Seems like the training of a daimyo's oldest son might be compared with the eldest son taking over a traditional Japanese business. They learn by seeing & doing themselves from the earliest age. If conditions stay the same, they are probably well trained indeed - but not prepared for the unexpected

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Richard Walton @rawmih.bsky.social [ View ] Mar 15, 2024 at 01:04 UTC

Although I don't have a military background, I often compare working for a Japanese company to being in the military. Very strict hierarchy, following orders without needing to know why, learning by doing, being transferred on seemingly a whim, etc.

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Richard Walton @rawmih.bsky.social [ View ] Mar 15, 2024 at 01:00 UTC

Seems like one of the difficult points, in war or business, is winning the war vs winning the peace. Very different skills. There is also the issue of military leaders when there is not a war. All very interesting to me. Are you a change maker or are you simply staying the course.

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Richard Walton @rawmih.bsky.social [ View ] Mar 15, 2024 at 00:57 UTC

As you well know, interesting ideas about traditional Japanese leadership concepts abound in the Japanese press as well as popular books in English. Most of this is probably rubbish, but it would be interesting to flesh out the details.

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Richard Walton @rawmih.bsky.social [ View ] Mar 15, 2024 at 00:54 UTC

Thank you very much for your time, very interesting. It might help if I say a little more about why I'm interested in this subject. I have worked at a Japanese company most of my career, so Japanese leadership and leadership training is something I have experienced first hand.

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Richard Walton @rawmih.bsky.social [ View ] Mar 13, 2024 at 18:26 UTC

Thank you, no hurry, I know you are busy.

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Richard Walton @rawmih.bsky.social [ View ] Mar 13, 2024 at 04:54 UTC

Or in practice were warrior leaders simply the winners of the latest or most important battles? Does my question make sense?

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Richard Walton @rawmih.bsky.social [ View ] Mar 13, 2024 at 04:53 UTC

I think there is a lot of pop scholarship about this in print, but I would like something more substantial. Specifically, is there any historical basis for older warrior leaders having gained the wisdom to be leaders or as is often portrayed in literature - puppet masters?

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Richard Walton @rawmih.bsky.social [ View ] Mar 13, 2024 at 04:51 UTC

@nhledbetter.bsky.social Hope you don't mind me asking a question. Thinking you might be able to point me in the right direction. I would like to find some resources on Japanese warrior concepts of leadership and leadership training.

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Richard Walton @rawmih.bsky.social [ View ] Mar 01, 2024 at 03:38 UTC

Thank you!

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Richard Walton @rawmih.bsky.social [ View ] Mar 01, 2024 at 03:03 UTC

Your efforts on this are much appreciated. I would be interested in your opinion on this novel considering the limited access to good scholarly information Clavell must have had way back in the 1970s when this was written/published. Even if he repurposed events, he was still aware of quite a bit.

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Richard Walton @rawmih.bsky.social [ View ] Mar 01, 2024 at 01:17 UTC

Enjoy your Shogun commentary

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Richard Walton @rawmih.bsky.social [ View ] Feb 27, 2024 at 05:09 UTC

Fuji looking pretty during my morning bike ride.

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Richard Walton @rawmih.bsky.social [ View ] Feb 01, 2024 at 04:51 UTC

At the end of last year, I went to an Irish cheese event in Tokyo - held at an Irish Pub naturally. Needless to say, great beer, great cheese.

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Richard Walton @rawmih.bsky.social [ View ] Jan 31, 2024 at 03:04 UTC

A bit swath of buildings between our head office and Tokyo Station is being leveled for redevelopment, including Yaesu Book Center which used to be such an important destination in Tokyo.

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Richard Walton @rawmih.bsky.social [ View ] Jan 25, 2024 at 22:45 UTC

I see copies are only 300 yen, might order one.

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Richard Walton @rawmih.bsky.social [ View ] Jan 23, 2024 at 11:23 UTC

Pretty combination of temple gate and belfry. Does anyone have a definitive answer about the relationship between the Hojo family kamon and the Triforce in The Legend of Zelda video game? Are they related? Just coincidence? Not sure if I should believe what I have seen online. Jochiji Temple 浄智寺 鎌倉

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Richard Walton @rawmih.bsky.social [ View ] Jan 21, 2024 at 11:13 UTC

During the holiday season Lawson promoted milk, hot milk and milk containing products to help the dairy farmers who typically suffer during school breaks (and no school milk sales).

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Richard Walton @rawmih.bsky.social [ View ] Jan 20, 2024 at 13:06 UTC

Entrance to a 13th century temple in Kamakura, one of the original 5 mountains of Zen Buddhism. If the stairs were nice and straight, it wouldn't feel right. Jochiji Temple 浄智寺 Kamakura 鎌倉

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Richard Walton @rawmih.bsky.social [ View ] Jan 20, 2024 at 00:20 UTC

Seems like something will have to come to a head soon in US academia. Space-age sports facilities, professional coaching staffs with professional salaries, and outrageous tuition fees for students, while academics, especially part-time, non-tenured, and non-Western academics are treated very poorly.

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Richard Walton @rawmih.bsky.social [ View ] Jan 16, 2024 at 05:32 UTC

Not that I know of, but apparently the 1994 Eagles collapsed pretty spectacularly, and this only ranks 4th in Philadelphia sports lore - according to this article (which came out so fast the writer must have seen the writing on the wall prior to the game). www.msn.com/en-us/sports...

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Richard Walton @rawmih.bsky.social [ View ] Jan 14, 2024 at 07:40 UTC

indoctrination? or discriminating taste at startlingly young age?

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Richard Walton @rawmih.bsky.social [ View ] Jan 14, 2024 at 03:09 UTC

authentic?

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Richard Walton @rawmih.bsky.social [ View ] Jan 12, 2024 at 22:57 UTC

@kaitlynugoretz.bsky.social Sorry to bother you again, but while I was thinking about torii, I thought I would show you a photo I took a few years ago when I was playing around with HDR photography. Simple scene, but I like it. Have a good day.

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Richard Walton @rawmih.bsky.social [ View ] Jan 12, 2024 at 03:58 UTC

@kaitlynugoretz.bsky.social Oh, I remember that post. Now you have a daylight photo as well.

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Richard Walton @rawmih.bsky.social [ View ] Jan 12, 2024 at 03:54 UTC

Not sure how the word micromanagement was added to that text. Photos from my wife. Looks like the torii is lined with lights for nightly illumination. @kaitlynugoretz.bsky.social

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Richard Walton @rawmih.bsky.social [ View ] Jan 12, 2024 at 03:50 UTC

@kaitlynugoretz.bsky.social Not sure if this is of micromanagement interest or not. The 武蔵野令和神社 musashinoreiwa.jp

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Richard Walton @rawmih.bsky.social [ View ] Jan 11, 2024 at 05:48 UTC

Congratulations, they spelled your name correctly.

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Richard Walton @rawmih.bsky.social [ View ] Jan 10, 2024 at 22:49 UTC

Congratulations!

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