Japan’s Quality Movement: A Model for Future China?

Utter the three words “made in China” and consumers often reel back in horror. More than any other country right now, China faces mounting international and domestic pressure to up its stance on quality control. The country suffers from a bad manufacturing reputation, one that says low in quality and high in defects. Notable examples include the milk powder and melamine fiasco in 2008 and leading poisoning incidents that happened this year. All of this has left a sour taste in people’s mouths. Contrast this dire situation to Japan, one of the most developed nations in Asia renowned not only for commanding premium price, but also the quality to match. Though the differences may seem stark, there is much more in common between the two countries than it may seem. 

For those who may not know, Japan at one stage of history suffered from a reputation of bad quality goods. But through a rigorous overhaul, the country now champions and prides themselves on high calibre of their goods that are the pride of the country. Quality in manufactured goods was historically a sore point of the Japanese industry, with the reputation reaching its nadir during the Pacific War of 1941. However, due to the work of Japanese organizations such as the Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers (JUSE) as well as significant contributions from individuals such as W. Edwards Deming, K. Ishikawa, G. Taguchi, and S. Shingo, Japanese quality is now at the top of its game. 

Moreover, the Japanese has long possessed an innate understanding of quality, one which is reflected in their language. The Japanese word for “Quality” can be translated in two ways: “atarimae hinshitsu” and “miryokuteki hinshitsu”. The former term refers to the functional qualities of a product; the latter, to its aesthetics. It is said that a marriage between both of these features creates the desirability of a good. In other words, a product where function and design intersect is one that is highly desirable. These advancements made by innovative thinkers, empowered with a fertile culture of growth have lead to what we see today: the prevalent question for perfectionism in Japanese products.

After all is said and done, China needs to up its game. The country understands that poor manufacturing detrimental to western brands wishing to set up operations here. More importantly, China’s own fledgling brands suffer: not because of the level of creative calibre that is now starting to be recognized by the international community at large, but due to operational and manufacturing deficiencies of these products. This is certainly a point emphasized by China luxury expert Pierre Xiao Lu. Mass factories may have propelled China into an economic boom. But when the cost of Chinese labor inevitably rises, businesses must look for alternative ways of generating a higher revenue stream. And with Japan as a shining zenith of quality, China too should follow suit.  

Image Source: Flickr - Kiki Follettosa, Flickr - Okinawa Soba