The problem with the Japanese economy is that stuff isn't made there anymore. Right after the war, the Japanese made tons of cheap little products that were exported to the USA. "Made In Japan" back then meant "Cheap Product." Then the Japanese upgraded and exported high quality electronic products and cars---TVs, VCRs, radios, Toyota's, etc.. Meanwhile the Koreans and the Taiwanese sold up the cheap products that the Japanese used to. Then the Koreans and the Tawainese started selling us all those electronic products and the Japanese had no where else to go. Oh, and the mainland Chinese are selling us the cheap little products that the Japanese used to. However, I expect the mainland Chinese to eventually upgrade to fancier electronic products and computers. Maybe the Japanese will have to go back to producing those cheap little products again.
All I know is that I rarely see products anymore that say "Made In Japan."
Then, why have I been hearing for so long that it is to our advantage to allow all our manufacturing to move to other countries? If it is bad for Japan to stop manufacturing why is it good for the US? Can you imagine someone 200 years ago trying to tell the citizens of a young USA that they would be better off importing all manufactured goods than attempting to create their own? Didn't I hear that one of the major reasons that General Lee finally had to surrender was that the Confederacy was dependent on agriculture and had very little manufacturing capability? Should we feel safer knowing that we have shut down a large part of our defense industry? Can we buy cruise missiles cheaply from Taiwan. Are they coming to take me away?