Manga Nihon Keizai Nyuumon

In Detroit, Japanese cars are burning. Executives at Toyosan Motors must decide whether to begin offshore automobile production in the United States. Mr. Kudo, the hero, fears that the move will devastate Toyosan’s many local subcontractors, hollow out Japan’s auto industry, and leave only a financial shell—a fate the American color television industry has already suffered. The villainous Mr. Tsugawa calls Kudo a weakling and sees a perfect opportunity for union busting. Can Kudo prevail? So begins this rollicking yet incisive introduction to the world economy from a Japanese perspective. Other episodes address the appreciation of the yen, the impact of the 1970s oil shocks, deficit financing, the internationalization of business and banking, and the postindustrial future of Japan and the Pacific Rim. This English edition, from the University of California Press, is based on Manga Nihon Keizai Nyuumon, originally published in 1986 by Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Japan’s equivalent of The Wall Street Journal. Drawing on a serious introductory text from that newspaper and packed with charts and facts, it became an immediate bestseller in Japan, selling over 550,000 copies in less than a year. The stories reflect Japan’s national mood during the “Japanese miracle” and into the 1980s economic bubble: apprehension and optimism jostle together, along with a sense of national self-pity. The book also shows deep suspicion of politics and bureaucrats; the prime minister appears more worried about popularity than about taking the right economic course. Ultimately, Toyosan Motors’ employees demonstrate that Japan’s economic success depends not on natural resources or politics but on ethical, socially responsible, and forward-looking business practices.