Comments on: How Apple is more Japanese than Japan

By: occasionalposter1

occasionalposter1 — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 01:44:15 +0000

As an American who lived in Japan for 26 years, I agree with you 100% on your explanation, but this point is missed by the vast majority of people outside of that culture, – unfortunatley!

By: hannahjs

hannahjs — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 20:40:53 +0000

By: ApplePi

ApplePi — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 19:17:13 +0000

Packaging in Japan is far far from laborious. It is both beautiful and functional wrapping. As an example of attention to detail, at many grocery stores in Japan they have dry ice shavings machines so that when it melts, it doesn’t get your food wet.

It is infinitely easier to open most things from Japan.

Another thing Japan and Apple have in common is the attention to detail. Check out Wagashi. Japanese sweets, with beautiful attention to detail.

By: kingmel

kingmel — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 16:47:34 +0000

Paraphrasing the immortal words of SJ:

MacFreek, you just have no taste. And I don’t mean that in a small way. I mean it in a big way.

Unless you are a complete imbecile, you understand the point under discussion – that Apple attends to every detail of its product design and marketing down to the packaging, fonts, etc. It is that attention to detail that defines modern Apple products. You don’t have to appreciate the packaging, but it matters to a lot of people.

By: MacFreek

MacFreek — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 15:44:56 +0000

dab2, you are so sad. I have a suggestion. Send me a MacBook Pro (15 inch, 8 gig of RAM, and 750 GB SSD) wrapped in traditional Japanese style. Let’s see if your gift brings me the joy that inhabits your being. Maybe you can rid yourself of your sadness by vicarious enjoyment. You can thank me later.

By: botvinnik

botvinnik — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 15:33:29 +0000

I think I just threw-up a little in my mouth.

By: Raymond in DC

Raymond in DC — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 15:32:22 +0000

I don’t recall any of the early “unboxing” videos that didn’t involve Apple products. Isaacson’s “Steve Jobs” biography does mention Jobs’ obsession with presentation, something he took from Japanese culture.

I recall unboxing my new iMac in 2008, how everything about it seemed just right, and after examine its lines and quality thinking to myself, “Perfect!” One can’t have a better customer experience.

By: botvinnik

botvinnik — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 15:30:13 +0000

Jane, you ignorant slut, is that you?

By: MacFreek

MacFreek — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 15:20:35 +0000

I hope that your joy from within can extinguish your sadness.

By: dab2

dab2 — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 14:46:14 +0000

My joy in life comes from within. I can see the simple beauty in a child’s laugh, a birds song or the wonderful efforts of an engineer. I enjoy all aspects of my life.

I still feel sad for you.

By: MacFreek

MacFreek — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 14:28:21 +0000

Unlike you, my joy in life is not determined by plastic and metal components in a cardboard box.

By: dab2

dab2 — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 14:20:39 +0000

I am sad for you.

By: MacFreek

MacFreek — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 12:28:31 +0000

I never experienced such emotional bliss from opening a box that I purchased from Apple. Now, if Apple sent me a similar item as a gift (i.e. free of charge) my exuberance and joy would be multiplied a thousand times over. I’m still waiting.

By: MacFreek

MacFreek — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 11:46:43 +0000

From what I read the singular characteristic of being Japanese is individually packaging cookies. I had no idea that the entire Japanese culture could be explained and defined by packaging snack food. Professor Ashcraft must be the world’s leader in gustatory anthropology.

By: Rastamouse

Rastamouse — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 10:26:56 +0000

I always get a nice feeling unwrapping a new Apple product.

Sent from my iPhone.

By: Rorschach

Rorschach — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 09:56:12 +0000

Totally missing the point. For the recipient, the present being wrapped in an ornate and decorative fashion increases the anticipation and multiplies the pleasure in opening the present, almost to the extent of being more important than what the gift itself is; it shows how much thought and care was put into giving the gift.
But you obviously couldn’t give a toss about such subtleties.

By: P

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 05:55:35 +0000

Don’t forget the part where SJ wanted everyone at Apple to start wearing a uniform designed by the Japanese designer who eventually designed his turtle neck tops. Fortunately (or unfortunately), his idea was voted down by the employees.

By: Xil

Xil — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 05:28:53 +0000

I have a 2011 mbp and recently opened a MBA, the packaging went from sophisticated tight seamed cardboard inlay to now a plastic tray. I hope this is not a trend, I am beginning to wonder if apple is losing its class, it’s just a lot of little things that make me worry. I hope I am just over analyzing, connecting the dots to see a pattern based on my fears of Apple after Steve. Time will tell.

At least we can open our packaging unlike the morons at Google who devised the packaging for the nexus 7, maybe, however, that was by design, that way, people are just happy to get to the device or Google is just preparing them for a continued subpar experience.

By: hannahjs

hannahjs — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 04:47:46 +0000

A man of few words, but many concealed resources. For example, your 1962 match with Fischer was inspiring.

By: ken1w

ken1w — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 04:35:52 +0000

Besides the packaging and attention-to-detail aspects, the other thing that reflects Japan (in Apple) is customer-experience. In general, Japanese culture is more focused on the customer’s experience, including taking “preemptive” steps to carefully CONTROL the customer’s experience.

With Apple, it’s not just about the cool hardware design, or performance “specs”; the customer (user) experience is primarily driven by the software. No one does software design better, and no cares more about user experience than Apple, not even close…

By: Tony

Tony — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 04:26:26 +0000

Not sure that I agree with this. Apple wants a simple presentation, not a laborious one. The multi-level Japanese packaging sounds like a hassle for the receiver, no matter how well thought out it is. Apple thinks things through precisely so that complexity is removed from the experience.

By: botvinnik

botvinnik — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 04:09:29 +0000

eh.