Chapter 212
I went to Bern, Switzerland to give an invited lecture. Attendees were very interested in photonic crystal µLEDs. Although Switzerland is a permanently neutral country, fighter jets fly over the beautiful Alps with roaring noise. It is ironic that a strong military is necessary to maintain neutrality. I saw that the reason for Switzerland's wealth is its small land area and efficiency. If we were to connect the four islands with roads, bridges, and railways like Japan does, and provide the water, electricity, and communication environment that comes with them, we would never have enough money. There is a highway on the north side of the Alps, but on the steep mountain road from Lake Geneva on the south side to Zurich, the winding road without guardrails blended into the beautiful scenery. The mountain roads used for many movie and TV location shoots, such as the 007 series, are closed in winter. I felt that Japan also needs to make this kind of compromise. Instead of carving out mountains and the seabed and building new bridges one after another, we should keep them where we can without difficulty. Returning to Japan, I saw the rusty guardrails on the roadside and the piers of railway bridges, and felt that there was a lot of waste in Japan. If you think you would die if you fell off a cliff, you would drive more carefully. Driving is ultimately the responsibility of the individual, and not the responsibility of the government for not installing guardrails. On the other hand, I was surprised at how strict the enforcement is. Not only does the navigation system of the rental car show the speed limit and warn me with sounds and visuals, but the speed camera flashes and the fine is charged to Japan. Also, I was given a ticket for parking for about 30 minutes without putting any francs into the parking meter on the street because I didn't know where to park at the hotel. (Parking meters are centrally managed.) For minor violations, you can pay the fine by card if you follow the instructions posted on the car window and enter them on your smartphone screen, and no points will be deducted. What was even more surprising was that when I tried to back up and return to the road in a convenience store parking lot, the car warned me. One-way traffic is restricted and managed even on private property. Also, when I was returning my rental car to the airport parking lot, I was warned when I tried to park on a different floor. These systems reduce the manpower and expenses of the police and managers, while at the same time enabling detailed speed restrictions and management. Japan still has an outdated response with fixed-location speed cameras and mobile speed cameras. In 2000, the slow spread of the Internet was pointed out, but Japan is clearly lagging behind in infrastructure management systems as well. Switzerland is by no means a country at the forefront of this kind of infrastructure management system, but it seems that Japan is no longer at an average level.
Now, in South Korea, there is a big fuss over President Yoon's insanity, and major European countries such as the UK, France, and Germany are also experiencing political instability. The victory of Republican candidate Trump, who takes a hard-line stance on protectionism, and the trend of far-right parties gaining influence in Europe are clearly similar to the situation before World War I in the first half of the 20th century. The background to each country prioritizing its own country shows that countries that have worked to support conflict areas such as Ukraine, Israel, and Syria and accept refugees under the cause of protecting liberal society are becoming fatigued from support. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 ended the Cold War between the East and the West, but the ideal of world peace did not come true. 35 years have passed, and in the end, how do we face the reality that war will not end? It is time to seriously consider this.
Winding roads in the Swiss Alps where guardrails are a necessity
December 9th, 2024
Irritated citizens
