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The Forum > Article Comments > The myth of a failed Japan > Comments

The myth of a failed Japan : Comments

By Warren Reed, published 17/6/2011

If 'failure' was always this good 'success' wouldn't look so attractive!

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Take the iPad.

Final assembly takes place in China. Therefore every iPad shipped to the US or Australia is recorded as an import from China.

However Chinese assemblers import most of the high tech components that go into the iPad from companies in Germany, South Korea and, most notably, Japan. In terms of VALUE ADDED, Japanese companies benefit far more than Chinese companies from iPad manufacturing. So do South Korean and German companies.

Most of China's exports are like that. It's foreign companies using China as an assembly point. I'm not criticising the Chinese for that. It was the logical first move in their economic development.

Now Chinese companies are trying to "move up the value chain."

Can a country that seems to be imposing ever greater restrictions on the free flow of information achieve this? That remains to be seen.
Posted by stevenlmeyer, Friday, 17 June 2011 2:44:30 PM
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An interesting article especially about Japan's earthquake and tsunami preparedness, including the breakwaters.

Perhaps due to language differences Australians received a flood of derivative, repetitive news and footage on the tsunami and nuclear disaster for 6 weeks - then virtually nothing.

So this article is all the more unique in having fresh ideas - probably enhanced by the author's understanding of Japanese language and culture.

Pete
Posted by plantagenet, Friday, 17 June 2011 3:18:57 PM
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Having worked for a Japanese company in the past, I have an abiding admiration for their business acumen. And it is very true that their essentially hierarchical management structures are ideal for command-and-control procedures, and therefore perfect for the centralized planning and implementation of tsunami warning systems etc..

It is equally true though that socially, the Japanese conduct themselves very differently to "the West", and this shows through in various ways, most visibly in their attitude towards gender issues, including sex.

I also often wonder whether their political structures can genuinely be described as democratic. Not that that is necessarily a bad thing, given the dogs breakfast of a system that we "enjoy".

While accepting that their financial problems are viewed differently - in the sense they are largely "domestic", as the author points out - it is still extremely apparent that none of their revolving-door politicians has the faintest idea how to fix them.

As the population ages even further, and dwindles as it goes with a below-replacement birth-rate, it will be interesting to see how the inevitable pain will manifest itself. I wouldn't bet against a sort of "Japanese Spring", where the youth finally gets thoroughly jack of being disadvantaged by the system, and take to the streets.

Politely, of course.
Posted by Pericles, Friday, 17 June 2011 5:43:09 PM
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There are strategic considerations in the economic tactics that Japan has pursued in recent decades (ie its undiscussed efforts to acquire strategic positions in the production of many components needed in a modern economy, and its continued mercantilist economic stance).

Concerns have been expressed (eg by Professor Ross Babbage) about rising militarism in China that is reminiscent of Japan in the 1930s - and a reasonable case can be made that: (a) economic miracles across East Asia (including that in China) have been based on variations of the hierarchical / authoritarian neo-Confucian system of socio-political-economy that was the basis of Japan's pre-1990 obvious strengths; and (b) Japan has played the leading role in orchaestrating the emergence of what can be seen as the 'Asian Coprosperity Sphere' (involving systems that are radically different to, and incompatible with, Western-style democratic capitalism) that was the goal of its military adventurism in the 1930s.

The need to take a very broad view of Australia's security challenge is suggested in 'Comments on Australia's Strategic Edge in 2030 "
http://cpds.apana.org.au/Teams/Articles/StrategicEdge.htm
Posted by CPDS, Saturday, 18 June 2011 8:41:31 AM
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Japan is a shining example of the benefits of not having a rapidly growing population, yet the growth zealots are forever claiming that calamity and hardship is just around the corner. Japans population has grown by about two thirds since the end of the second world war. In contrast, the population Philippines has increased about five-fold and has major debt and infrastructure shortfalls. Why ignore the present calamities and worry about notoriously inaccurate economic forecasts?
Posted by Fester, Saturday, 18 June 2011 11:08:12 AM
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