Beyond National Borders: Reflections on Japan and the World

Japan must abandon its long history and mindset. The dangers of synthetic nationalism are reflected remorsefully in the fact that Japan could have benefited from cheaper quality foreign products. Japan is the second largest financial power in the world and Japan is wealthy, 120 million hardworking and well-educated citizens. For 40 years Japan has sustained a population of 100 million. Is Japan a producer of wealth? Is Japan a consumer of wealth? Countries rich in natural resources are suffering. In 1980s OPEC nations realized oil and ores were not enough to fuel economic growth. Japan has made up for the mineral poverty by transforming its economy based on manufactured goods. Japan geography is 80% mountainous forcing imports. Japan imports raw goods and converts them to value added goods. Japan is not a welfare state mandating that "those who work eat". Japanese farm 10 million tons of fish and can maintain supply rates indefinitely. Japan associates with Oil rich Arab countries, but not Israel; Japan considers Korea and Taiwan rivals; Japan courts Indonesia and Malaysia; and Japan aids the Philippines and Thailand. The world is divided into two types of countries: Countries rich in resources and countries with strong markets for manufactured goods. Wealth is realized by shifting from natural resources to advanced technology. The Swiss became the model for business visionary ventures. The Swiss model included a well-educated workforce, 3 large banks funding and stabilizing financial funding for projects, and profitable manufacturing operations. The problem is Japan is a superpower unaware. Japan mindset of isolation and ignoring non self-referential content prevents important information from affecting decision makers. In a race to become efficient and powerful Japanese companies often have no idea how their manufacturing prowess hurts foreign industry and in large part they ignore their Asian neighbors. Food: Japan is 80% dependant for food and energy. 670,000 Japanese workers build 11 million cars a year. In 1984, Japan paid 6.756 billion of American agricultural produce. Japan is the biggest importer of American beef in the world. Japan is a Class A customer of the America farmer. If the dollar strengthens, the US government must subsidize the US farmer, as survival means, as exports slow and product costs more for foreigners. A strong dollar in the 80s caused a recession for the American farmer. Japan was forced to shop elsewhere: Argentina, China, and Australia. Liberalizing Japanese beef industry would have flood the market with cheap Australian beef. A move against the US beef industry. The Japanese government reduced the Japanese agricultural population from 35 percent to 6 percent. Even if Japan does not own foreign land, Japan needs to have access to countries with lands capable of producing food. The Japanese rice industry is inefficient. The Japanese government buys 2/3 of the rice produced, subsidi