From 1 to 60

In the Sunday Times the magazine cover story is titled "From 0 to 60 to World Domination" about the rise and immense global success of Toyota. This makes a good epilogue to my last post, about how Americans can create ideas but the Japanese run with them.

One element of the article that really interested me was Toyota's relentless pursuit of developing a full-size truck for the American market. Trucks just seem to be so American, so entrenched in the American psyche; and while many people appreciate mid size or compact Toyotas, Hondas or Nissans, driving a foreign truck is an altogether different matter. Most foreign car companies produce an SUV, but have you seen a truck by BMW, Hyundai, Honda or Mercedes?

And this reminds me of a topic I've thought a great deal on in Japan. What is American? Or rather, what is exported image of America and what is really American? The other night a Japanese friend was asking me about food that I missed from the United States and at one point he was like - oh, but there is McDonalds! I was just like, that is hardly a good example of American food. I regularly see McDo, Gap, Starbucks, and even Denny's. I feel like these do reflect one aspect of America's character - we're good at producing and exporting things for immediate consumption. That is very American. At the same time the images of America that are perpetuated abroad are not often reflective of people's daily lives. As with any other country, they're often stereotypical or reflect a small segment of the population.

Trucks are very American. So are guns. It's amazing how many people bring up the issue of guns with me - not just Japanese people, but Gaijin too. Apparently every American owns a gun. I had a long discussion with a (Japanese) friend the other night, where I was almost surprised by my perspective. I had to really think about why guns are so valued by Americans, and how that could come to be. I didn't defending the culture of gun ownership but for maybe the first time I did give it some legitimacy.

America had very rough and wild beginnings. When pilgrims/puritans/explorers arrived from England they were entering a VAST unknown. Forget a feeling of security - guns provided actual security, and it was an efficient way to kill potential food. Futhermore, individuals owning guns were an integral part of the Revolutionary War. Yeah, the militias that the 2nd Amendement provides for (which is now essentially the National Guard) were instrumental in beating back the British, but so were individuals hiding out in the woods, picking off British soldiers. Guerilla warfare, although not often lauded, was important factor in the Revolution. It was individuals with their guns.

I'm not sure when the last continental state was fully settled, but I do know that the frontier was explored and pushed for decades; and the frontier mentality has long outlasted any material border with wilderness. As long as memories of the frontier exist, gun ownership will too. Maybe Toyota can develop a new American gun for the 21st century.