CHAPTER FIVE
HONESTY
HONESTY
Honesty is the first chapter of the book of wisdom.
—Thomas Jefferson
Like many kanji in the Japanese language, makoto is comprised of two parts. The character on the left is translated as “to speak,” and depicts a mouth producing words. On the right, the character sei means to accomplish, succeed and to refer to our actions. For the samurai, his words dictated his actions. There was no need to affirm his words by a gesture such as a handshake. Once spoken, the commitment was assured. Thus, honesty becomes the fusion of words and deeds; words = actions.
Webster defines honesty as fairness and straightforwardness of conduct and adherence to the facts, sincerity.
For the samurai, speaking and doing were one and the same. When a samurai said he would execute an action, it was considered done. A true samurai was honest, sincere, truthful, and above reproach to both those above and below him; including all who were in his care. The people in the samurai’s care depended on him. The samurai warrior lived by truth, and there was no place for dishonesty or insincerity.
The samurai developed his credibility through trust. If he breached this trust, he failed his honor. That usually meant death, because death would be the only way to right a breach of honor. For the Western mind, this concept may be foreign and challenging to understand; it was a way of life for the samurai.
In Japan today, this is why there are many spoken agreements that are just as legal as written agreements. Western society depends on written and sealed documents, while Japanese society depends largely on word-of-mouth agreements. Trust is always assumed, and it cannot be breached without dishonoring the family, even the entire village, town, or company.
Honesty is the best policy. If I lose mine honor, I lose myself.
_______
William Shakespeare
Notice again in this quotation the connection to the idea of honor. Much can be learned from this simple statement. Those who desire to excel in their endeavors need to embrace this most important concept.
Honesty is the best policy, but is honesty an easy policy? Does the price of losing your honor and self-worth merit compromising? Conceivably, there are positive and negative effects of being honest. The negative effects of honesty are rejection, hostility, and hurt feelings. How often do we find it more convenient to deviate from the truth? The ultimate effects of being honest are much more far reaching—they bring peace of mind and a positive sense of self-worth.
Honesty begins with your thoughts. When you think honestly and truthfully, your actions follow. As a former transition counselor at the Washington State Mission Creek Correction Center for Women (MCCCW), I would comment on the thought patterns that resulted in these women’s current incarceration. In order to change their situation, their thoughts and lives need to change. When you change your thoughts, you change your life. It all begins with what goes on between your two ears. Every action and spoken word commences with your thoughts.
It takes courage to be honest. Honesty is considered a part of your foundation and moral character. Do you desire your foundation to be solid, like concrete? As the winds of life toss you to and fro, do you want to be on solid ground or sinking sand?
The samurai followed and adhered to all the virtues of bushido. He was not at liberty to select those parts he liked, but was obligated to practice all aspects of bushido in his everyday life. If the samurai did not follow the bushido code, he was not a samurai. He had to live and breathe these principles and be prepared to do the right thing at all costs.
Thomas Jefferson wrote, “Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.” Solomon is considered one of the wisest and wealthiest men of all times. In his early life, Solomon sought wisdom above all, and God granted him both wisdom and riches.
The samurai virtue of honesty is still evident in Japan today as we will learn in the next chapter. After the tsunami on March 11, 2011 struck the northeast coast of Japan, there was little looting and virtually no rioting. In fact, the Japanese people returned millions of dollars to their rightful owners in the form of cash and valuables.
We will also discuss the story about Uwajimaya, a destination Asian goods store in the Pacific Northwest, and its beginning in the back of a truck. By adhering to the bushido code, Uwajimaya has become an information specialist on Asian culture, a nationally recognized name in the supermarket industry and was Seattle Business Magazine’s 2013 Large Firms Family Business Winner. Honesty is a hallmark of most successful businesses. For the Japanese immigrants, this was a foundational principle they brought with them from Japan.
As you conduct your life, consider:
• Are my words and actions aligned?
• Is a “white lie” really white or is there a cost that will eventually require payment?
• Are my actions conducive to the business or relationship I desire in my life?
2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami
Honesty and integrity are absolutely essential for success in life – all areas of life. The good news is anyone can develop both honesty and integrity.
—Zig Ziglar
Los Angeles Times journalists Tom Miyagawa Coulton and John M. Glionna wrote: “Altruism and honesty among different cultures are difficult to measure and compare, but in 2003 a University of Michigan Law School professor conducted what he called a comparative study on recovering lost property in the United States and Japan.
The professor, Mark West, left 20 wallets on the street in Tokyo and 20 in New York, each containing the equivalent of $20. In New York, he said, six wallets were returned with the cash intact and two were brought back empty. In Tokyo, finders returned 17 of 20 wallets, all with the cash intact, and all but one waived the right to claim the money if the owner wasn’t found.”1
The world was shocked by the devastation of the earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern Japan on March 11, 2011. The loss of property and human life was hard to imagine. For some, the response from the Japanese people was even harder to imagine. Instead of looting and pilfering amidst the ruins, the world witnessed calm, cooperation, and order that focused on helping one another. People organized to help retrieve and return belongings and mementos to individuals and families devastated by the tragedy. Did you witness this in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina or in New York after Hurricane Sandy? What is there in the Japanese character that made their response so different?
From an early age, Japanese children are taught the virtue of honesty. There is an emphasis on its importance not only to the individual and family, but also to society as a whole. The significance of their individual actions is taught to the children and supported by Japanese society. It is instilled into their character how far beyond themselves their actions affect and reflect others. On a child’s first trip to the police station, he or she will be returning a coin to the officer. Japanese society and government reinforce honesty.
This concept of shared responsibility is part of the Japanese educational system. Schoolchildren are taught to perform certain school-cleaning tasks and are responsible for serving lunch meals to their fellow classmates.
This code of honesty continued to guide Japanese citizens in the earthquake and tsunami aftermath that destroyed the region of Tohoku. In August 2011, five months after the devastation, officials reported more than 5,700 safes and wallets were given to authorities. In addition, Japan’s National Police Agency reported that most of the antiques, gold, cash, and other valuables had been returned to their owners. The amount was a staggering $78 million, with over $30 million in cash from the recovered safes and wallets. According to Ryuji Ito, Professor Emeritus at Yokohama City University: “the fact that a hefty 2.3 billion yen in cash has been returned to its owners shows the high level of ethical awareness in the Japanese people.”
The BBC News also reported:
An anonymous donor in Japan has left 10m yen ($131,000; £83,000) to charity by dumping it in a public toilet.
The money was found with a letter saying it should be donated to victims of the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan in March.
The neatly wrapped bills were found in a plastic shopping bag in a toilet for disabled people in the city hall of Sakado in the Tokyo suburbs. The note read: I am all alone and have no use for the money.
The City Hall said it would hand the money to the Red Cross if it was not reclaimed within three months.
City officials said the anonymous donor had slipped in and out unnoticed.
The BBC’s Roland Buerk in Tokyo says the earthquake and tsunami that devastated north eastern coastal areas in March has brought out striking examples of generosity and honesty.2
This is an example of the generosity and honesty of the Japanese people.
The tsunami’s destruction robbed many of any form of personal identification. Without personal identity, how do you make transactions for the necessities of life? Fortunately, a family registry has been maintained for hundreds of years in Japan. But how do you obtain this personal identification without opening the doors to fraud and identity theft? Government officials were convinced the strong moral character of the Japanese society would prevail, and this would not be a problem. So assured were officials of individual honesty that the Japanese postal system offered banking services to evacuation centers, giving money to people without identification.
Honesty is a mindset that reflects the overall character of an individual or a country. Japan is one of the safest countries in the world. The streets are safe to walk at night. I witnessed grade school children in Kyoto walking down the streets and riding buses and trains unaccompanied, even after dark—a way of life foreign to most other parts of the world.
As a tourist, I experienced and benefitted from several incidents of the honesty of Japanese citizens. While shopping, I accidentally left behind items at a store and also at a flea market. I returned to find them untouched. A Japanese student friend who briefly lived in our area entrusted his Honda vehicle to us to repair and sell for him. When we visited Japan, we sent a letter with 120,000 yen (approximately $1,200) to his residence. You can imagine our hesitancy, but the recipient and the post office assured us that it was perfectly safe. Sure enough, the money arrived safely! Would you ever consider sending money through the postal system where you live? Japan is one of the safest countries in the world because of the moral and ethical character instilled by the bushido code.
The city of Kyoto, inhabited by over 1,475,000 people, is our choice travel destination. I feel safe walking the streets of northern Kyoto alone at night without worrying about the threat of being robbed or assaulted. It is my favorite city in the world because it is inhabited by an honest population and blessed with rich cultural assets.
Japan’s low crime rate has been attributed to their homogenous population, strong family ties, and their group mentality. Another factor here is the emphasis on honesty and how it relates to that group mentality. The Japanese think in terms of how their actions will affect not only themselves, but also others. It’s as if all of Japan lives in the zone of Zen thinking. There’s no dissent, and if there is, it is organized in such a way that does not bring about disharmony. Even the act of disagreeing is done in a polite manner. Trust is essential—this is why criminal activity is seen more as a deviation from what is the norm for the culture. Honesty builds trust, trust builds relationships, and relationships build almost everything else!
If your desire is to lead a productive life or build a reputable business, then start with honesty with your customers, vendors, employees, family, friends, and yourself.
Moriguchi Family Kamon
A tradition of good taste since 1928
From the back of a truck, Fujimatsu Moriguchi started his business by selling homemade fishcakes and other Japanese staples to Japanese logging, fishing, and railroad laborers in the Puget Sound area in 1928. It was the humble beginning of Uwajimaya, a destination store in Seattle’s International District and Seattle Business Magazine’s 2013 Large Firms Family Business Winner. Uwajimaya was named after the Japanese town, Uwajima, where Moriguchi learned to make fishcakes and other Japanese delicacies. The word ya, Japanese for “store,” is added to business names.
Fujimatsu Moriguchi and his wife, Sadako, operated their business in Tacoma until World War II broke out. The Moriguchi family, including their children, was relocated to Tule Lake War Relocation Center in California where they resided for the duration of the war.
After World War II, the Moriguchis started over at square one, relocating to Seattle and reopening Uwajimaya in Seattle’s Japantown, only two blocks away from the current Uwajimaya Village. Uwajimaya was a retail establishment, fishcake manufacturer, and an importer of food and gift items from Japan.
The 1962 World’s Fair was hosted in Seattle. Moriguchi seized upon this opportunity and operated a small kiosk to display and sell Japanese products. The opening was pivotal and enabled Moriguchi to reach out, educate, and sell to non-Japanese clientele. Uwajimaya offered delicacies, gifts, and food from Japan, opening new doors for the company’s success.
When Moriguchi passed away in the summer of 1962, his four sons took over management. Fortunately, he modeled and taught his family the Japanese work ethic and the importance of honesty in business and life; so the business continued to grow. Uwajimaya expanded its client and product base to include a wider population and other Asian countries.
In 1970, Uwajimaya moved into its new signature store of 20,000 square feet, and then eight years later, added 16,000 square feet to accommodate its expanding business. Uwajimaya was now the largest Japanese supermarket in the Northwest, and it featured Asian groceries, a delicatessen, live fish tanks, and an extensive gift and dry goods department—years ahead of their time while setting a high standard.
To accommodate Seattle Eastside’s growing population in 1978, Uwajimaya opened a retail store in Bellevue. The third location was added in 1997 in Beaverton, Oregon, a suburb of Portland.
Business continued to thrive, and by the year 2000, the Seattle Uwajimaya store built and moved its new home one block south in the heart of Seattle’s International District. The new flagship store, Uwajimaya Village, occupies 66,000 square feet and is substantially larger than the previous location. Uwajimaya Village includes Seattle Uwajimaya Asian Food and Gift Market; Kinokuniya, the comprehensive Japanese bookstore; Chase Bank; an extensive Asian food court; and other personal services. Above the store is a 176-unit apartment complex in which residents benefit from the comprehensive retail and service vendors below.
In 2002, Uwajimaya celebrated its 75th anniversary in the new location. Unfortunately, that same year the matriarch, Sadako Moriguchi, passed away at the age of 94. She left behind a legacy and the resilience of the Moriguchi family, who continued to expand the business. The Moriguchis continue to manage Uwajimaya stores and the wholesale food division, with over 400 employees and their $110-million-a-year business.
When I shop at Uwajimaya, I am certain to find Asian ingredients, kitchen accoutrements, and gifts that I am searching for. As in Japan, honesty, customer service, and cleanliness are a high priority at Uwajimaya.
The days of small beginnings on the back of a truck propelled Uwajimaya to become a destination store, an information specialist on Asian culture, and a nationally recognized name in the supermarket industry. The Uwajimaya website states:
Our primary motivation for what we do is you, our customer. For this reason, it is important for us to deliver exceptional service, share our knowledge and expertise and be a leader in innovation. We celebrate and welcome the diversity of our customers and community by creating a comfortable, fun and unique shopping experience.
Umajimaya is an exemplary model to follow; from the back of a truck to becoming the nationally recognized destination store of Asian goods. The Moriguchis are a true American success story of an immigrant family that overcame obstacles, triumphed, and is flourishing. The Moriguchi family has practiced the bushido code in their business and lives, and the legacy continues.
Foot Notes
1. Coulton, Tom Miyagawa and Glionna, John M., Los Angeles Times, September 22, 2011.
2. BBC News-Asia Pacific. (September 29, 2011) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-15110090 par. 1-6.