Friday, July 25, 2003

Japan's Neglected Resource: Female Workers. It often seems that the Japanese would rather let their economy stagnate than send their women up the corporate ladder. By Howard W. French. [New York Times: Business] I don't know how many times I have read someting similar to this since I came to Japan. This topic is similar to government and school reform. It is something that is always talked about, but where it is hard to see any change. 4:06:58 PM

	Saturday, May 10, 2003

Japan's Long Fuse. North Korean belligerence has Tokyo talking about nuclear arms. [Christian Science Monitor | Commentary] This would be the one issue that would have the Japanese public in the streets. I think it would probably look like the security treaty issue in the 50s and 60s. 7:57:36 AM

	Friday, March 28, 2003

Japan Puts Deregulation to Big Test. In the biggest test yet of the Japanese way of deregulation, Japan Post, a new public corporation, will replace the government-run postal system. By Ken Belson. [New York Times: Business] This will probably mean that the little post office down the street from us will be closed in the near future. It is nice to have it, but we don't use it too much. It is easy to see why they need to close it because they have three people working there all the time and one of them is considered the postmaster. I am sure he is at the top of the payscale. 10:20:25 PM

	Tuesday, March 11, 2003

As Japan's Economy Slips, a Sense Leader May Fall. As the government fumbles with formulas to jump-start the sagging economy, ordinary Japanese are inching closer to exasperation. By Howard W. French. [New York Times: Business] We are probably in store for some elections. There are several regular elections for local and regional offices coming up, but we have to wait and see if Koizumi calls a snap election to conicide with them. In some ways these elections are good for business for the printers, sound equipment companies and the part-time labor market. 6:11:33 PM

	Sunday, March 9, 2003

Europe's Carmakers Sticking With Diesel. Europeans say diesel cars already deliver many of the benefits that hydrogen or hybrid engines will not deliver for at least a decade. By Mark Landler. [New York Times: Business] Japan is like Europe in the number of diesel cars, (we have two), but the anti-diesel forces have been making headway. The biggest concern is the particles. With this pressure and the US market the focus is on hybrid cars. 10:46:18 AM

	Saturday, March 8, 2003

Cell phone culture A new Set of Social Rules for a Newly Wireless Society We are a two cell family and when Kai gets into high school we will have three. I don't use mine to send e-mail and only make a few calls a week. I sometimes wonder why I have one, but there are those times when it is makes life so much easier. 10:25:33 AM

	Saturday, February 1, 2003

Japanese Economy Stalled by Unemployment and Spending Declines. Japan's jobless rate hit a record high in December, one of several indicators that show the economy stalled in the last quarter of 2002. By Ken Belson. [New York Times: Business] I keep reading things like this, but the stores still seem busy and the restaurants are usually crowded. Also a lot of my students still seem to travel overseas. When I talk to the taxi drivers when I go downtown for classes they complain that people aren't out drinking as much and companies aren't paying for as much entertainment, but that is about all I can see. I don't see the pain that the US had back in the 70s. The reason may be that Hokkaido is always on the the recieving end of these supplemental budgets and if I lived in Tokyo or Osaka I would notice it more. 1:11:09 PM

© Copyright 2003 David Campbell. Last update: 7/25/03; 4:08:41 PM.