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(CNN) Sad Another Japanese tradition is discarded in favor of the western way   (globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com) divider line 19
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6426 clicks; posted to Business » on 30 Jan 2012 at 11:01 AM   |  Favorite    |   share:  Share on Twitter share via Email Share on Facebook   more»   |    Get this fabulous T-Shirt and impress the methane out of your friends! shirt it!



19 Comments   (+0 »)
   
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JonZoidberg
2012-01-30 11:11:49 AM
Pretty hard to maintain a trade surplus when you have to look for your factories under a pile of rubble. Japan will come back. Yawn...
 
Kanemano
2012-01-30 11:13:30 AM
Yes, but only because of an earthquake, Tsunami, and Nuclear meltdown, supercombo.
 
UNC_Samurai
2012-01-30 11:23:11 AM
Kanemano: Yes, but only because of an earthquake, Tsunami, and Nuclear meltdown, supercombo.

"The Japanese government would like to blame one-off events: Last year's earthquake and tsunami crippled factories and shut down nuclear energy reactors. The offshoot of that was decreased economic output, plus they needed to import expensive oil from the Middle East. But natural disasters have only highlighted and accelerated existing trends in Japan: A decline in competitiveness and an ageing work force.

China and other East Asian countries can now produce cheaper products and in greater quantities. Add to that a rising Yen, and Japan's exporters have been at a disadvantage globally. Toyota's chief perhaps said it best last year: "It doesn't make sense to manufacture in Japan."
 
Gergesa
2012-01-30 11:29:20 AM
And hear I thought it was going to be about abandoning tentacle rape.
 
PirateFreedom
2012-01-30 11:46:23 AM
UNC_Samurai: Kanemano: Yes, but only because of an earthquake, Tsunami, and Nuclear meltdown, supercombo.

"The Japanese government would like to blame one-off events: Last year's earthquake and tsunami crippled factories and shut down nuclear energy reactors. The offshoot of that was decreased economic output, plus they needed to import expensive oil from the Middle East. But natural disasters have only highlighted and accelerated existing trends in Japan: A decline in competitiveness and an ageing work force.

China and other East Asian countries can now produce cheaper products and in greater quantities. Add to that a rising Yen, and Japan's exporters have been at a disadvantage globally. Toyota's chief perhaps said it best last year: "It doesn't make sense to manufacture in Japan."

long term demographics are against them, especially an aging population that leans more and more towards drawing down retirement savings rather than building them up, but they will run a surplus again next year because the bulk of the changes this year were caused by one time events.
 
pute kisses like a man [TotalFark]
2012-01-30 11:55:48 AM
it's irresponsible to discuss trade deficits and surpluses with modern nations.

when it comes to goods, and only goods, they can be an indicator of your manufacturing.

however, these days, the real money is in services. services surpluses/deficits can't really be portrayed because they're not really reported.

america has had a deficit in goods, but we are the biggest exported of services. so, thinking we're in trouble because of a trade in goods deficit doesn't reflect the majority of what makes america money. We have a massive trade surplus in services. It may even offset or overcome our trade in goods deficit (although, I have no numbers to support or contradict that statement).

I would not be surprised if Japan is moving in a similar direction. it makes sense, manufacturing is cheaper elsewhere, so you adapt to a changing environment. services require educated professionals, not laborers. so, as the nation gets richer, so does the number of educated. now you have a workforce ready to provide services internationally. services pay better.
 
Kuta
2012-01-30 12:11:39 PM
I hope I wasn't the only one to go "What the hell does Zakaria mean in Japanese?"
 
Dokushin
2012-01-30 12:16:17 PM
Kuta: I hope I wasn't the only one to go "What the hell does Zakaria mean in Japanese?"

You and me, brother. You and me.
 
rudemix
2012-01-30 12:21:45 PM
First seppuku and now this? What's next, bukkake?
 
watson.t.hamster
2012-01-30 12:34:22 PM
Kanemano: Yes, but only because of an earthquake, Tsunami, and Nuclear meltdown, supercombo.

Plus a global economic collapse that doesn't favor importing high quality and expensive consumer goods.

But as the article pointed out those are contributing factors.

They aren't having kids, the population is getting older, and all that will put a strain on any economy. Even one that doesn't have to fend off constant Godzilla attacks.
 
Kuroshin [TotalFark]
2012-01-30 12:45:28 PM
The Yen is just too strong against the Dollar right now. Combine that with the largest markets in the world suffering economic collapse, and you've got products that are too expensive to produce domestically when being sold into markets that just can't afford expensive luxury goods. Japan did the same thing the US did - move production to China - but even then the premiums demanded for their products are too much for current markets to bear.

Sales slump, costs get reduced by shipping production overseas, sales still don't recover, and now you've got to import a weakened foreign currency. Just bad news all around.
 
dragonchild
2012-01-30 01:15:00 PM
Kuta: I hope I wasn't the only one to go "What the hell does Zakaria mean in Japanese?"

"By Fareed Zakaria, CNN"

Makes sense, but I have to admit I was confused for a while because "zakaria" can be read as a legit, if nonsensical, arrangement of Japanese phonemes. And I'm fluent in Japanese and work in manufacturing.

Anyway, that column was a whole lot of nothing.
 
Guidette Frankentits
2012-01-30 01:26:56 PM
The birthrate here in the US is dropping for certain demographics but in about 150 years the country will be the Confederate States of Duggar vs the United States of Mexico.

The Civil War of 2100 will referred to as the "Clown Carpocalypse"
 
beta_plus
2012-01-30 02:41:25 PM
Not being full of fat chicks?

*clicks article*

Pheww.
 
CognaciousThunk
2012-01-30 03:12:22 PM
Japan is basically out of luck. Because eventually, they'll be out of people.

WaPo article: Japan estimates population to shrink by one-third by 2060, seniors to account to 40 percent

/with flattering pic of what your favorite JJGirls chick will look like in 2060
 
TheWhoppah
2012-01-30 06:12:02 PM
Summary: The government won't allow industry to exploit workers so this is bad for workers.

You know what? fark you Fareed Zakaria and fark you CNN.
 
sonorangal
2012-01-30 06:48:55 PM
The article also forgot to mention that Japan also outsources some of their labor to other countries such as Thailand. Over the summer Thailand had a huge flood and along with Tsunami and nuclear disaster I am sure dipped into their trade because they could not meet demand. Yes, this has hurt them but has created opportunity for other Asian countries to make up the loss.
 
casual disregard [TotalFark]
2012-01-30 08:50:40 PM
Based on TFA's headline, I assumed the problem with Japan today was Zakaria.

Was it just me? Seriously, it was like ZAKARIA and then they said japan.

Obviously it's Zakaria's fault.

Also, can we get some subtitles on this shiat? Learn the 'murican language already.
 
tenton
2012-01-31 10:25:34 PM
casual disregard: Also, can we get some subtitles on this shiat? Learn the 'murican language already.

The written article is word for word with what he was saying, at least for the first few paragraphs. I stopped the video at that point, because, you know, I already read the article.
 
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