Japanese became prosperous surprisingly within a short time because of the following factors. Living neat and tidy, giving respect to each other, industrious and working of the adults, making business without dividing the possessions from the family, giving no permission to smoke under the age of twenty years, avoiding the gambling and the best education system are the factors for economic development of Japan. These factors were the experiences of U Hla in Japan.
(1) By the experiences of U Hla, the Japanese were the first class people in the world. They lived neat and tidy in the house not only at the towns but also at the villages. They always used the stockings and gloves in farming, and industrial enterprises. The covers were used in selling foodstuffs. Foods were taken with spoons and chop-sticks. The garbage was thrown away systematically without flinging on the streets.
(2) In Japan, respects were given to each other by bowing their heads in meeting with other.
The bicyclists were given priority by the drivers on the street. They used to speak gently.
(3) Myanmar thought that the rich person enjoyed the good things of life rise in dignity and fame. If five persons lived in a house, about two or three persons works the business in Myanmar. Almost all the people engaged the work in Japan. They thought that the
joblessness will be shame.289 All person engaged works in Japan except the older people and the students. U Hla knew from the explanation of interpreter that some of the ageing people used to suicide themselves as they do not want to burden the other.
(4) The Japanese generally lived together with their parents in a house although they have already marriage. In Japan, father or the elder son took the responsibility of the family as a head of family. The entire member of the family gave their income to the head of the family.290 The head of the family are the most influential person in the family. If the marriage person wanted to set up and live a separate house, they satisfied the shares distributed by the head. The inheritance cases in the court of law seldom occurred in Japan. Moreover family member competed to get more income than the other in their family. Therefore Japan became an advanced nation in the world because the Japanese became prosperous and workers also increased in Japan.
(5) The Japanese seldom wear the valuable garments except in the important ceremony.
Although the price of motor car and fuel were cheaper in Japan than in Myanmar, rich person only brought to use their owned car. Although the officers from Mitsubishi Company, Toyota Company and Japan Trading worked their business with the monetary investment of million they lived simply without using their owned cars. Besides they take foods as vegetable and fish. As the vegetable and fish were cheap in prices, the expense was low. The Japanese were rich because the income was high and expense was low. U Hla also thought that Japan became prosperous like America and full of high building in Japan after fifty years by living this style. As Myanmar nationals bought cars without having their owned house in Myanmar, it cannot think what happened after fifty years. During the British occupation of Lower Myanmar for fifty years and the whole for one hundred years, many cultivated lands were transferred to
289 U Hla, Gyi Pwar Yaee Mattan, p. 187 - 189
290 ibid, p. 191
the hands of Chettiars and Chinese. Therefore it is important to reoccupy the lands by using the methods of Japanese.
(6) Among the Japanese, not more than five by one hundred people wear the jewelry.
Diamonds were seldom to found in Japan. The Japanese girls put on the ring sometime without adoring the earring with a screw on back piece. Knowing the value of the gold and silver, they gathered money by working hard. They borrowed their money to the Government Bank with the low interest and Government lends money to the public for the advantage business.
(7) The Japanese Government did not give permission to smoke under the age of twenty.
Therefore the Japanese women smoke a little in number. There were many males who liked smoking.
(8) Moreover the Japanese Government prohibited the gambling and one who commits the gambling was given punishment severely. However permission was given to the horserace in order to use the horses in their works because they used the horses in transporting the commodities. Being sluggish, the oxen were not useful at present. The gambling did not found in the towns where U Hla visited in Japan. As the Japanese Government prohibited the gambling, the criminal cases occurred a little in Japan.
(9) In Japan, the family name was attached with the name of a person in giving the name.
Therefore the lineage of a person can be seen by looking the name of a person. The majority of the Japanese avoided the bad habit as they were anxious to lose the dignity of their lineage. For instance, if the name of a person is Nishikawa and his family name is Toyoda, his name will call as Toyoda – Nishikawa.
(10) The compulsory education system was adopted for the age of six years in Japan.
Therefore 99.12 percent of the populations were educated in Japan and they wear the uniform by their standard. Therefore they have given the priority for their study without competing each other. The students in Myanmar still competed each other by wearing
the silk garments.291