Japan's intelligence comes from the 4 seasons?

When you ask someone from abroad on what they think of Japan
What answers would you get back?

Some many say that Japanese people are polite.
Have manners
Good at staying in line.
Smart.
Have respect for each other.

There are many things people think about Japan.
Today I would like to talk about why people think Japanese people are smart and where I think it comes from.

Are Japanese people really smart?
Smart as in high education. Is this true?

In Japan new medical schools haven't been built in the last 36 years.
The top universities in the world are mostly in Europe and America.
The percentage in Japanese students wanting to go to Harvard or Stanford is very low compared to other countries.

What do Japanese people think about their schooling?
The other day I saw on TV the World Ranking TV program. They were ranking which country liked to go to school the most and what do you know Japan was at the bottom.

So Japanese people don't like school.

Even when there aren't top ranking universities and the majority of the students don't like school. Japan still has the power to grow the economy from the ashes (after the war) to the second most successful country in the world in a very short time.
No other country has done this in such a short period.

So if education is not the answer what makes Japan have a smart image?
I believe it's the unique phycology that makes Japan strong that impacts the world to make Japan have a smart image.

For example, Japanese people have great respect in each other.
They work really well in groups.

Also you need to use your head living in the Japanese Culture.
Depending where you stand with in the group your actions change.
For example if your the youngest (KOHAI) your actions will change a certain way.
If your the older one (SENPAI) in the group you are allowed to act differently you have more control.

Outside of school you use your head.

The smartness of the Japanese people also comes from the unique seasons that Japan has to offer. Japanese people take advantage of the four seasons especially in business.
For instance there is a company with one main product. Depending on the season they will change the package and change the way they advertise.
The four seasons that Japan has kept their minds going and has made Japanese people keep an eye out on small changes.

There is so much that you can do by yourself.
When there is a group of people you are strong.

Japanese people work really well in groups and also good at recognizing small changes that make them even better.

If you think of it. You can see the difference in culture though cartoons.
In America most cartoon hero is one main character out to save the world.
On the other hand Japanese cartoons are not one but a group of characters joining to save the world.

Japan may have the image of being smart but it doesn't come from schooling.
It comes from the unique phycology that Japanese people have.

Japan could become a much stronger country if more people understood this and could show the rest of the world how they do it.
Sometime when things are normal to you tend not to see it when it could be so much valuable to others.