A critical feature of Japan’s post-war economic renaissance was the way government and business combined to select overseas market segments suitable for Japanese penetration and, bolstered by the support of a closed domestic market of higher prices, work single-mindedly to enter and dominate them. American and European producers of televisions, video cassette recorders, motor bikes and cameras, to name just a few, wilted at the Japanese onslaught of over-production, rapid model change and low prices. Yet on the political side, historically the Japanese government has often been incapable of … [Read more...]
Author’s Note
After making three one-month trips to Japan during an 18-month period in 1989-1991, I moved there in early 1991 to live for an indeterminate period, at the outset expected to be up to one year. This stretched to eight and a half years, including marriage and commencing a family, before we all made Australia our permanent home from early 2000. A number of trips back have taken place since. This document commenced life as a series of one-off articles written during this residency, each article arising either from an everyday occurrence, a conversation, a news item, or a newspaper article. … [Read more...]
Impressions
A topic such as impressions is perhaps even more personal than experiences encountered, so I’ve placed it at the very end, even beyond anecdotes, easily overlooked if the reader is so inclined. One of the most common questions I am asked about Japan is why I went there and stayed for so long, eight and a half years. Of course there are many who have stayed much longer, for much of their adult life after completing university in their home country. For all of us, I believe there’s a turning point, or watershed time, after which a permanent return to the home country, prior to retirement at … [Read more...]
Author’s Anecdotes
Up to this point, I have not used the style of writing that recounts personal experiences, instead preferring a commentary style approach to convey information. However, as some of my encounters can give an insight into the Japanese psyche, and an indication of the kinds of things that can occur while visiting the country, they have relevance for this document, and so are now included, but up here, at the back, easily ignored if the reader so prefers. The ‘retired’ couple As I have explained, Japanese people are generally slotted into a number of stereotyped categories, the … [Read more...]
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