Category Archives: Trade

The myth of Japan’s “lost decades”: An invitation to Ambassador John Roos

Posted on March 26, 2012 by Eamonn Fingleton

Why do Americans keep misunderstanding Japan? Much of the blame must be placed at the door of the State Department. And that is why last week I extended an unusual offer  to  the current U.S. ambassador to Tokyo. As part … Continue reading →

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The Japanese Electronics Industry: A Rebuttal

Posted on March 20, 2012 by Eamonn Fingleton

A message for Richard Katz and other Japan declinists: Look at the big picture. Probably no commentator has been more outspoken in proclaiming the demise of the Japanese economic model than Richard Katz, author of The System that Soured. While many … Continue reading →

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Japan’s “Lost Decades”: The Sophistry Continues

Posted on January 8, 2012 by Eamonn Fingleton

My article in today’s New York Times Sunday Review has been generating heat as well as light. An article I have written on Japan for the January 8 New York Times Sunday Review went live at the nytimes.com website yesterday … Continue reading →

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The Fingleton Invitation: Progress Report

Posted on January 7, 2012 by Eamonn Fingleton

People have asked me what happened to the Fingleton Invitation. The answer is nothing. Some months ago I invited Ed Lincoln, a former Tokyo-based economic adviser to the U.S. government, to join me for a public discussion of the Japanese … Continue reading →

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Dollars and Dragons

Posted on September 19, 2011 by Eamonn Fingleton

I have just published the article below in  the American Conservative. TOKYO—In the mid 1990s, I published a book entitled Blindside: Why Japan Is Still on Track to Overtake the U.S. By the Year 2000. The prediction in the subtitle … Continue reading →

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The Weight of the Yen

Posted on August 28, 2011 by Eamonn Fingleton

As I have repeatedly documented at this website, the story of Japan’s two lost decades is a myth. But if I am right, how come so many ostensibly reliable observers seem to disagree with me? There are several reasons, none … Continue reading →

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An invitation, some surprising facts, and two elusive experts

Posted on June 28, 2011 by Eamonn Fingleton

For thirteen years now I have been trying to organize a public debate on what really happened to the Japanese economy. The effort continues. The facts below have convinced at least one top American economic thinker that a debate is … Continue reading →

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A $10,000 offer for Robby Feldman and Ed Lincoln

Posted on June 20, 2011 by Eamonn Fingleton

Let’s sort out once and for all what has really happened to the Japanese economy in the last two decades. Some months ago I offered to make a $5,000 donation to charity if any of ten influential Western commentators joined … Continue reading →

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The strength of Japanese manufacturing

Posted on May 15, 2011 by Eamonn Fingleton

For  two decades the New York Times has reported almost nothing but gloom about Japan’s manufacturing industries. I challenged a recent report in a letter to the editor. Your report ( “Japan Confronts Its New Normal,” May 12 in the … Continue reading →

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