In the last 40 years, Japan has consistently been one of the top industrial nations in the world. If we are to seek for one word to describe Japan, the term "technology" immediately comes to mind. Among the developed countries, Japan has the highest annual rate of college graduates in the fields of science and engineering. In fact, most of Japan's exports are technology-related products including automobiles, electronics, and machineries. Japanese brands like Toyota, Sony, and Toshiba have become synonymous with world's consumers.While you are reading this, you may be thinking in your head how science must have played a dominating factor in the education of Japanese kids. The truth is quite contrary. While the Japanese seek to stimulate their young minds with science and technology, a large chunk of the curriculum is devoted to arts and not science. The reason for this is simple. The Japanese believe that having a creative imagination is the key to becoming the next great engineer or master designer of technology.
They also believe that exposing their youths to the arts is a great way to stimulate and promote one's imagination and visual insights. As a result, the first thing Japanese children learn in school is how to draw. They are encouraged to draw anything their imagination could come up with. Some draw mountains and grass fields. Others draw cartoon characters and robots. These drawings may look innocent and insignificant; the truth is, however, many of them have the potential to become the main engine that drives future innovation and technology. In the 1960s and 1970s, there were a series of manga (Japanese comics) that were published, depicting the development of highly intelligent robots that could be used in both warfare and civilian tasks. The idea was well-received at the time, generating a strong fascination of robots and smart technologies among Japanese kids. Today, Japan leads the world in robotics having more than half of the world's active industrial robots.
Another form of arts that Japanese children are being exposed to is origami, the Japanese art of paper folding. Virtually everyone who lives in Japan is skilled at this unique art form. While most outsiders admire origami for its unique craft, we often overlook how much geometry and analytical skills are involved in implementing such an art. Origami demands a great deal of details and meticulousness from the artist. Let face it, to turn a plain sheet of paper into something that is so realistic that it mirrors or even surpasses its real-life counterpart is masterful within itself. Having exposed to this amazing art, Japanese children are trained to think critically as well as to accumulate the valuable lessons of craftsmanship.
As technology continues to play an increasingly important role in today's world, arts have quickly becoming insignificant in the education of our kids. In fact, many schools have chosen to cut their arts' programs in favor of technology-related programs. In my opinions, we should not give up in introducing our children to the arts. Instead, we should embrace arts and figure out a way to blend technology and arts together.
