There is
also evidence that
women are becoming more dissatisfied with their lot as
their numbers in the work-force increase. A
government white paper reports that although most
women were still content with their responsibilities as
keepers of the home, only 13 percent felt that they
were given equal status at work, and only 10 percent
believed they were treated equally in terms of social
perceptions and customs.
The
current transition may be the most critical so far,
demanding as it does, not only a revolution in attitudes
but also a thorough review of postwar systems. The
Japanese are likely to continue their self-examination
for some time. If this process results in basic reforms
that open the nation still further,
Japan can avoid being isolated from the international
community as it was before
World War II. The pressure from USA and Europe is
too strong for changing the legal hurdles for foreign
companies to operate in the
Japanese market. The environment for
foreign
workers in Japan has not been really hospitable in
several ways; the result being that foreign firms are
replacing the expatriates with local employees or moving
their staff to other areas like south-east Asia, China
and
Hong Kong. The task will not be easy, but it can be
accomplished if it is guided by both a strong national
identity and a sense of responsibility toward the rest
of the world.
It is
time to revise the view of Japan as an infallible
economic colossus. Ever since the 1979 book “Japan as
Number One” bye Ezra Vogel, Japan had been perceived as
a relentless economic machine that would ultimately
overwhelm the whole world. But it is now being shattered
by what is becoming Japan’s worst recession since World
War II and what makes this slump significant is that it
coincides with Japan’s loss of competitive advantages
that supported its miraculous economic success. Japan is
completing the progression from an “economic miracle”
(poor, but rapidly growing) to a “mature economy”
(prosperous, but problem ridden). Between 1950 and 1973,
the economy grew about 10 percent a year. Between 1974
and 1990, annual growth averaged only 3.9 percent.
Assuming the recession ends soon, potential growth may
now be 0.5 percent for decades. The drab numbers refute
the view that Japan has discovered a
new model
for economic growth, vastly superior to others. |
