The letter below, to the Clinton administration’s chief Japan economist, is self-explanatory. Dear Ed: Having heard nothing from you over the summer despite several private attempts to make contact, I must now press publicly for an answer. As you know, … Continue reading →
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 →
I have had occasion to second-guess a recent list of best books on Japan. An old joke has it that a newspaper editor is a person who separates the wheat from the chaff, and then prints the chaff. On this … Continue reading →
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 →
I am still awaiting news from Ed Lincoln on whether he will join me for a debate. In the meantime my offer has not gone unnoticed elsewhere. I created quite a splash with my offer last month to pay $10,000 … Continue reading →
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 →
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 →
The late Iris Chang, author of the best selling book The Rape of Nanking, is the subject of a compelling new biography by her mother Ying-Ying Chang. (This commentary was first published at the website of the Atlantic Monthly.) Hints … Continue reading →
It took an earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster to reveal how little the West understands the land of the rising sun. (This article first appeared in the June 2011 edition of the American Conservative.) TOKYO. The art of reading between … Continue reading →
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 →