Construction biz of Japan is "shaky"

[Taro Toporific]

Here's the Japanese word of the day, tewonuku!--to cut corners, a slipshod construction is what Japan excels at best. To say that construction of Japan is "shaky" is to say the least of the following story.

Japan's construction shaky
Asia Times, June 14, 2005
Japan's four top general contractors enjoyed revenue growth for the April-December period, but six second-ranking companies are still struggling for survival and their need for greater debt renunciation is putting pressure on Japan's banking system as a whole and dragging down the speed of the nation's economic recovery.
The four largest general contractors combined had 11.8% more orders....
Among the four, Taisei Corp and Obayashi Corp have won large orders for engineering projects in foreign countries. Kajima Corp has been faring well in the field of urban redevelopment projects, selling two buildings it constructed in Tokyo to a Singapore state investment corporation. Shimizu Corp, which has strong business ties with electronics makers, raised its earnings...more...

[GuyJean]

tewonuku!--to cut corners

I thought that was 'mottainai'..

GJ

[Charles]

US construction firms have learned a few tricks from Japanese companies. Construction gets shoddier and shoddier as the housing bubble grows bigger and bigger. There aren't enough decent construction workers or enough time to build properly, so they slap up a little wood and styrofoam and cover it with vinyl siding, and hope it doesn't fall down before the construction company has taken the money and run. It's a seller's market, so the buyers have to sign a contract waiving all rights to sue the builder over shoddy construction, and agree to pay damages if they ever defame the builder, or even mention his name in public.

But still, for sheer nerve, nothing beats the ads I saw on Japanese TV back in 1996, selling vacation homes on the side of Mt. Komagatake.. They left out one detail.. the mountain was an active, ERUPTING volcano.

[dimwit]

The difference in Japan is that it LOOKS cheap.