Recent issues in two leading business weekly journals have highlighted Japan. One is The Economist and another is Newsweek of its international version.
Cover Page of The Economist
The Economist, December 1st, states in the cover, ‘A 14-pages special report on business in Japan’ and the title is ‘Going Hybrid’ http://www.economist.com/specialreports/displayStory.cfm?story_id=10169956, consisting of five reports; they are；1）Message in a bottle of sauce； 2）Still work to be done； 3）Not invented here； 4）No country if an island； and 5）JapAnglo-Saxon capitalism（no spell error!）.
Though the title of reports may look attractive, the special issue as a while emphasizes as might be expected, that business in Japan is moving perhaps toward to right track, but the speed is the issue. If you see the subtitles of each, the message may be a bit clearer even without reading it.
1）Message in a bottle of sauce; Japan’s corporate governance is changing, but it’s risky to rush things;
2）Still work to be done; Japan’s labour market is becoming more flexible, but also more unequal;
3）Not invented here; Entrepreneurs have had a hard time, but things are slowly improving;
4）No country is an island; Japan is reluctantly embracing globalization; and
5）JapAnglo-Saxon capitalism; Have Japan business practices changed enough?
Cover Page of Newsweek
The special in the Newsweek, December 10th issues, is more straight. The caption in the cover reads ‘How Japan Lost Its Groove; The Asian powerhouse struggles to explain its stumbles in hot technology’ and the title of the report is ‘Why Apple Isn’t Japanese’ .
My friend, Yoko Ishikura, was one of interviewees and her comments can be read in the On-line version as stated in her blog.
The world is watching what Japanese business will do, is trying to become of, and what it will act upon.