From the Editor: Far East Reflections

In June, I had a fabulous opportunity to visit Japan and China. I was invited by Canon USA to tour Canon Inc.'s headquarters in Tokyo and its largest MFD manufacturing plant, near Shanghai. Along with a handful of other editors and analysts, I met with Canon executives—including Chairman and CEO Fujio Mitarai—and inspected some cutting-edge technologies, still a year away from release. It was a fantastic experience.

My story detailing Canon's strategy and accomplishments is elsewhere on this site (and my video is viewable by clicking the video tab, atop the photo box), but my observations on the rest of this amazing journey...well, I guess that's what this column is for.

Visiting the two countries for the first time, I was struck by the stark differences between them. Japan is clean, efficient, polite and orderly. China is…less so.

From the subways to the toilets, everything flows smoothly (if somewhat differently) in Japan. Tokyo's highways wind between densely packed buildings. People are quick to answer questions, always with a polite bow. Quiet shrines tucked between high-rises invite introspection, while bustling streets lined with neon and video screens electrify the night air.

In Shanghai, horns blare, cars race through red lights and motor scooters speed perilously through crowds. Laundry flaps from the windows of dwellings crammed together on narrow, unkempt streets, where vendors display an endless array of food (much of it still moving). Meanwhile, the futuristic Shanghai skyline sparkles on the other side of the Huangpu River, where the passing parade of ships never pauses. Highways clogged with traffic have replaced the hordes of bicycle riders many of us envision, while clumps of identical high-rise apartments dominate the landscape outside of the city, displacing the rice fields of our imagination.

I found it all captivating, and I'm grateful to Canon for the opportunity to see this fascinating part of the world. The Canon USA representatives on the trip were outstanding hosts.

I wasn't home long before I had to reboard a plane and fly to Kansas City for the In-Plant Printing and Mailing Association conference. I was greeted by nearly 150 managers, up from 135 in 2011. Attendance has grown two years in a row, an auspicious trend. What's more, 50 were first-time attendees, and it was great to meet these folks and hear their stories.

As usual, the sessions were very informative, and seemed to have higher attendance than usual (perhaps because daily 100-degree temperatures made meeting rooms much more attractive). A special tour of the Kansas City Star's pressroom was the highlight for many, while others felt getting a football tossed in their face by Nick Lowery was the climax. And the awards banquet, including the dramatic revelation of the Best of Show winners via video, was the perfect way to wrap it all up—especially for the University of North Texas, which returned from elimination to claim its third victory.