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When I was in Japan on tour in 2010, I felt like I was 30 years into the future. I love technology and they are so advanced with their phones, computers, everything. I think they had the iPhone way before we did in the U.S. I love gadgets, games, social media and I try to stay ahead on all that stuff, but they get it all first.

Japan's very interesting. Some people think it copies things. I don't think that anymore. I think what they do is reinvent things. They will get something that's already been invented and study it until they thoroughly understand it. In some cases, they understand it better than the original inventor.

We have substantially improved our position in Japan which now represents a major part of our business.

What do we want our kids to do? Sweep up around Japanese computers?

In high school, I actually thought I was going to have to learn Japanese to work in technology. My big feeling was I just missed it, I missed the whole thing. It had happened in the '80s, and I got here too late. But then, I'm maybe the most optimistic person I know. I mean, I'm incredibly optimistic.

We are a country of artisans and a country of manufacturing. I think Japanese textile technology is the best in the world.

We find Japan a little more difficult to understand because it has proven its 20th century prowess though the ancient traditions still persist.

When I was a young guy, when I first started with G.E., Jack Welch sent us all to Japan because in those days Japan was gonna crush us. And we learned a lot about Japan when we were there. But over the subsequent 30 years, the Japanese companies all fell behind. And the reason why they fell behind is because they didn't globalize.

Another dynamic of this last year was our increased penetration into the Japanese market.

I think technology is spreading, and I think one's experience of technology is going to relate increasingly to class - not so much to country.