it's not life that matters but the journey...

That's very interesting and very Japanese. I think China used to be held in the same regard for a thousand years, while the emperors of Japan aggressively imported the literature, social structure, government model, clothing and laws from China. It seems like now America takes that place.

That's not necessarily a bad thing, I think. When we place ourselves at such a position, we tend to look for ways to improve and learn from others. Compared to the insolence and arrogance of imperial China, there is a reason China fell in the 19th century while Japan transformed into a modern nation.

May I say there is a little bit of irony that Masahiko married an American woman? ^_^ *ducks under a table from a thrown beer bottle*