Why are Japanese so much more creative and innovative than Americas: Education? Culture? Other?

[Martin Atkins]

Why is Japan so much more creative and innovative than America?  Japanese produce more patents per capita than Americans (about 3 times as many).  Why aren't Americans as innovative and creative as Japanese, again, on average?  Does it have to do with education?  I know Japanese often score in the top 5 or so in the world in math and science while Americans are always much lower.  Does it have to do with the culture?  I know that suggestions rates per employee is sometimes several hundred times the rates of US companies.  Is it something else?  I am just curious. 

[fun4alll]

I know you've read 'the bell curve', which suggests that a portion of the difference is organic. However, I'll have you know that most technologists such as myself, people that have over a dozen patents of my own, often consider Japanese inventions as highly derivative. They blend together ideas of others, and are reasonably clever, but not at all creative. Yes, if you count patents, the Japanese are way ahead, and if you count Nobel prizes, they are way way behind.
Their culture values competence in math and science. In fact, their young wear glasses that are straight glass... No perscription lenses; they do it to look smart. Now, there is a difference in cultural values! Yes, they are competent, but by the standards of other advanced nations, they are not creative. Interesting that you chose that word...
Creativity is difficult to measure. Nevertheless, the strong consensis is that china and Japan are skilled at being efficient at leveraging ideas made by others, but can you list an innovative base technology that originated there? The transistor, fm comminication, radar, sonar, muscular power.... No no no, they build good cars and and DVD players. That's not as creative as you imagine from my vantage point. Competence without creativity; that's how I'd describe them IMHO.

[Martin Atkins]

Good post

[Shanon White]

Culture and economic and social factors allow for different kinds of creative and innovative expression.  One thing to consider is Japan has had universal health care in their constitution since WWII.  They also work less and take more vacations than the US (as most civilized countries do).  In other words, they have more free time.  How many potential innovators, artists and inventors were among the 20-40 thousand people in the US who died every year because of lack of access to regular health care?  

Naturally people are creative, but the environment can allow that to flourish or stifle it.

On Sat, Jun 8, 2013 at 6:35 PM, Martin Atkins <mfafree...@gmail.com> wrote:

Good post

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[Yackie]

patents are not always owned by the people that have the idea either. by the Air Force, I had 3 of my ideas patented. so, it does not count as mine. but as fun points out.. they were clever innovations of current designs.. not original creations from the ground up.

[Yackie]

Sadly , America does not encourage the creative arts as much as it used to either. I have to wonder what you think of a portrait artist like myself, fun. That is just copying what you see. Am i just a mimic, or an artist?

On Friday, June 7, 2013 2:53:22 PM UTC-5, Martin Atkins wrote: