Japan is often criticized for the time it takes to make decisions. The government drags on making decisions from natural disasters to nuclear power and whether to allow gambling casinos.

Ha! You should try to teach English to Japanese university students, where it can take an entire 90-minute class for them to think of something to write about. And that's after I've given them the topic. When I told my students to write a 500-word essay about their most recent vacation, the entire class looked up at me — horrified. "Muzukashii! (Difficult!)," said one student. "Muri! (Impossible!)," said another girl. "Pass!" exclaimed another, as if English class was a TV quiz show. She was so exasperated, I expected the jimaku for "Pass!" to appear in the air above her head, complete with bold red letters and a few exclamation marks — perhaps accompanied by a lightning bolt.

You have to understand that my request was outside of the description of a student as being "one who eats and sleeps full-time." It's like asking your cat to write an essay.