Useless waste and necessary waste　　1.2 Pitfalls of High Economic Growth and Technological Growth

　Economic growth measured by real gross domestic product or real national income growth has enriched the lives of Japanese who had been defeated in the war. It is also true that the growth of technology made our living convenient and realized many dreams. However, it is also a fact that many problems have arisen as a reaction to that. These are pollution, unnecessary multi-functionalization, loss of ethics, economic bubble, money games, and long recession.

　It is easy to blame and criticize these problems. However, in order to build a sustainable society in and after the 21st century, we must first reflect on ourselves, regard them as trials, act and overcome by ourselves. We should have wisdom and ability to build a sustainable society worthy to hand over to future generations. What loses this ability is an excessive substance society itself without a philosophy. The substantially excessive society was created by companies and individuals chasing profit as their first principle. Earth with limited resources can not bear to the substantially excessive forever.