JAPAN: An area of fifth-form study

Press, 26 September 1988, Page 16

JAPAN: An area of fifth-form study

Fifth-form students of geography, history and economics consider the remarkable growth of the Japanese economy. Since defeat in World War 11, the Japanese economy has gone from strength to strength. A recent article in the “Far Eastern Review,” titled “Japan’s Economy Steaming Ahead,” sums up Japan’s important role in the world economy, “... Japan has at long last become a locomotive of world economic growth — rather than passenger in a train pulled by the U.S.”; Later in the same article a spokesman for Sony compares the frugal parents, who started the economic miracle of 1960 s with their wealthy offspring: “Another social trend (is the) bulging population of teen-age video and audio addicts (who are) awash with cash.” Reasons for economic growth since World War II are well covered in many textbooks. This page looks at some aspects of the current situation. * Population The population of Japan on October 1, 1986, was 122 million, 1 ranking seventh in the world and about 2.5 per cent of the world population. The population density in 1986 was 326 persons per square kilometre. Since Japan has limited areas of flat land, its population density in terms of habitable land is far higher. * Energy Japanese industry has been vulnerable to oil supplies and prices. Japan is making continued efforts to secure stable supplies of crude oil by encouraging conservation and stockpiling of oil. To achieve an optimum spread of various energy sources, the development of alternative energy, such as atomic energy, coal and liquefied natural gas has been promoted. * Economic assistance to developing countries As a wealthy- trading nation, Japan spends a large amount on aid; during the period 1986 to 1992 it expects to put more than $4O billion into aid. Aid is seen as a method in which to expand economic co-opera-tion. * Productivity As a consequence of the first and second oil crises, Japanese enterprises improved labour productivity through rationalisation and labour-saving investment. At the same time, energy and resource-saving investment made them less dependent on raw materials. In spite of wage rises, such investment reduced production costs and, with high-value-added

products increasing, the competitive advantage of Japanese products improved in the international market. At the same time, a climate of favourable industrial relations enabled the introduction of technological innovations such as factory automation and office automation, which resulted in increases in productivity in Japanese enterprises. * Food selfsufficiency The self-sufficiency rates of some agricultural products, such as rice, vegetables and dairy products are 80 per cent to 100 per cent; the rates of some products which need vast cultivated lands, such as feed grains and beans, are below 10 per cent. The total food self-sufficiency rate of Japan is 70 per cent. This is considered a . low level among developed countries. The decline in self-suffi-ciency is a major concern of an island nation, which experienced wartime hunger, the soya embargo imposed by the United States, and two oil shocks. The Japanese today are satisfied that they ingest sufficient calories and protein to correspond with their physical build. The Japan-ese-style diet, which balances protein with fats and carbohydrates, is considered the most healthful of any national diet in the world. The Japanese are noted for long life expectancy. Beef is a product encouraged by the Japanese Government in more sparsely populated areas to encourage conservation and soil fertility. Nations marketing to Japan need to research Japanese tastes. Kiwifruit needs to be well shaped and presented. Thinly sliced and pre-pack-aged beef catches the eye of the buyer.