在日本長崎原爆和平紀念典禮發生將台灣代表座位移到使節團區域外的事件後，打擊了台灣人對台日關係長期友好、以「絆」字所代表的美好想像。其實國際關係原本就錯綜複雜，更何況台灣有著全球罕見的外交困境，遇到官方往來和民間交流呈現的極端溫差，更是應該自立自強，發展、維持國家本身的軟、硬實力。如同這本《台灣超越日本真的嗎？》書名所示，隨著時代變遷、彼消我長的情況下，在東北亞，台灣幾乎快要迎頭趕上南韓、日本兩國，讓我們足以在 1960 年代後，再次在 AI 世代寫出另一篇台灣奇蹟。
作者野島剛是活躍於網路、週刊的媒體人／作者，長期深耕於了解台灣政治體制、產業文化、風俗民情，加上曾任朝日新聞社並外派多國的經歷，讓他在分析、評論日本、台灣兩國的各種議題時，都能以白話流暢的文字，一針見血地替讀者歸納重點。他是位相當友台的日本媒體人，更直白地說，他的政治思維是偏綠，並且是會為民進黨政策美言幾句的作家。不過整體來說，他討論的主題和抱持的立場，都是足夠客觀而且深具價值。
原本只是因為「台灣鐵道族為什麼不受我的家鄉便當？」這篇討論進軍台北車站的日本火車便當業者崎陽軒的文章，才開始翻閱這本書。雖然書籍有二分之一的內容是在討論台、日政治局勢的相關主題，較不受我的青睞；其餘偏向生活化、點出台灣特色的文章，能從日本人的眼中觀察自己，都非常有趣，也能帶來許多反思。台灣人和日本人在做事的風格上，台灣人求快，而日本人求穩。而在高速發展的現代經濟中，台灣人馬上做、錯了再改的方法，反而更能適應變化。
由這麼熱愛台灣的外國人眼光，點出台灣有待修正的缺點，更是值得我們加油改進。像是眾所皆知的行人地獄問題，平時待人和善的台灣人一旦坐上交通工具，便有如雙重人格般，路怒症隨之發作。台灣人求職、做事是以利益為導向；中小企業做事，少有經營事業的長遠眼光；個人謀職也不會有從事志業的職人精神。這是日本依舊優於台灣的觀念。
After the recent incident at the Nagasaki Peace Memorial Ceremony, where Taiwan's representative was moved outside the area reserved for official delegations, many Taiwanese people were disappointed by their long-held image of the friendly relationship between Taiwan and Japan, especially the idea of the bond represented by the Japanese word "kizuna." International relations have always been complicated. And Taiwan faces an unusual diplomatic situation that is rarely seen around the world. When there is such a big difference between official relations and the close exchanges between ordinary people, Taiwan should rely on itself even more. We need to develop and maintain both the soft power and hard power of our country. As the title of the book *Is Taiwan Really Overtaking Japan?* suggests, times are changing, and the balance between countries is also changing. In Northeast Asia, Taiwan is almost catching up with South Korea and Japan. This gives us a chance to create another "Taiwan Miracle" in the age of AI, just as we did after the 1960s.
The author, Tsuyoshi Nojima, is a media writer and author who is active on the Internet and in weekly magazines. He has spent many years studying Taiwan's political system, industries, culture, and way of life. He also worked for *The Asahi Shimbun* and was sent to several countries as a correspondent. Because of this experience, when he analyzes and comments on issues related to Japan and Taiwan, he can explain them in simple and fluent language and clearly point out the key ideas for readers. He is a very pro-Taiwan Japanese journalist. To put it more directly, his political views lean toward Taiwan's green camp, and he is a writer who is willing to say something nice about policies of the Democratic Progressive Party. However, overall, the topics he discusses and the positions he takes are objective enough and still provide great value.
I originally started reading this book because of an article titled "Why Don't Taiwanese Railway Fans Like My Hometown Bento?" It was about Kiyoken, a Japanese train bento company, trying to enter Taipei Main Station. About half of the book discusses political issues between Taiwan and Japan, which are not really my favorite topics. The other half is more about everyday life and the unique characteristics of Taiwan. It is very interesting to look at Taiwan through the eyes of Japanese people, and it gives us a lot to think about. In terms of how they work, Taiwanese people tend to value speed, while Japanese people tend to value stability. In today's fast-changing economy, however, the Taiwanese way of "do it first and fix it if something goes wrong" may actually be better suited to rapid changes.
It is especially valuable when a foreigner who loves Taiwan points out the things that Taiwan still needs to improve. We should take these comments seriously and do our best to improve. Take the well-known problem of Taiwan's "living hell for pedestrians," for example. Taiwanese people are usually friendly and kind, but once they get behind the wheel or onto the road, it can feel like they have a second personality, and their road rage suddenly appears. When Taiwanese people look for jobs or do business, they often focus on financial benefits. Small and medium-sized companies often lack a long-term vision for building a business. At the individual level, people looking for jobs often do not have the kind of professional spirit that comes from treating a job as a lifelong calling. This is one area where Japan is still better than Taiwan.
沒有留言:
張貼留言