ABSTRACT
I have been arguing that a career system in Japan for scientists with a stronger credit cycle would yield more excellent scientific research. But what if there were, in fact, a pervasive, deeply rooted feature of the Japanese psyche that makes it inhospitable soil for science? The suspicion arises perennially among both foreign and Japanese observers, prompting some to claim that the whole culture militates against creativity. Such national character and "cultural" explanations do not withstand important facts and tests of logic, but there are some special obstacles to international scientific competition and cooperation bequeathed by Japan's history and geography. Although these obstacles may seem far afield of a discussion of careers, overcoming them requires professional tools critical to success in global fora.
