As much as I looooove the sclerotic-atavistic-nationalist-inward-looking Land-of-Concrete(tm), this article overstates the obvious.
Japan must open itself
--Although there are some signs that Japan may be coming out of a long stagnation, it is still held back by its isolation, neomercantilist policies and lack of foreign investment--TaipeiTimes.com / Friday, Oct 15, 2004. Page 9After a dozen years of stagnation, Japan's economy seems to be looking up. But appearances can deceive. Despite improvements and reforms, many of Japan's fundamentals remain woeful.
Japan's decline has been palpable ....
... What should Japan do? The only solution for Japan is to open up -- not only its economy, but its society, its universities, its media, its think tanks, and, indeed, its bars and bathhouses. Many young Japanese -- often the brightest and most entrepreneurial -- demand to live in an open society, but the option they are choosing now is emigration.......more...