JAPAN 2000: The View From Within

1
JAPAN 2000 The View From Within

• Courtenay Fisher
• Martin de Laureal
• Economics 285
• November 2000

2
Our Mission

• We aim to highlight the key social and economic
  changes that Japan has undergone over the past
  ten years and will continue to undergo in the
  future.

3

• Produced in 1989, this film provides candid
  commentary and significant insight into the fears
  and aspirations of the Japanese people.
• Their anxiety and hope, as they face the dawn of
  a new century, revolve around great cultural
  changes, both socially and economically.

4
Economic evolution in Japan

• After WWII, Japan modeled itself after America (
  more likely, however, the United States modeled
  Japan after itself during the American
  Occupation).
• Throughout the past half century though, Japan
  has started to look within for solutions to
  economic objectives.

5
Industry to information

• Japan has transformed itself into an information
  based economy.
• Three major innovations have brought the
  Information Age to Japan
• The Computer
• The Jet Airplane
• Evolution of Telecommunications
• These three innovations have allowed the
  day-to-day transactions of the Japanese, both
  domestically and abroad, to occur more quickly
  than ever before.

6
Internationalization of Japan

• Foreigners want Japanese products (ie. Exports
  are increasing).
• More and more foreigners are speaking Japanese.
• Foreign tourism in Japan has become an important
  part of the economy.

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While the Japanese economy shifts to Information,
the Societal structure of Japan is also evolving
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Social Evolutions

• The Roles of Women in society
• The Roles of Young People in society
• The Inclusion of Non-Japanese into the Japanese
  culture
• Concerns for the Elderly population

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Changing Roles of Women

• Traditionally, the Japanese have observed a
  strict division between Men and Women in the
  workforce.
• Several Factors have brought change, including
• During the American Occupation, the 1947
  Constitution gave women more civil rights.
• The 1985 Equal Opportunity Law placed more women
  in the workforce.
• In general, the Japanese have faced the same
  gender equality issues that the U.S. has
  experienced over the past century.

10
Changing Roles of Young People

• The numbers of young people (those lt21) in Japan
  has grown significantly.
• Although the Japanese education system remains
  highly traditional and culturally based, children
  are now learning a broader based skill set.
• This influx of new students has brought greater
  reform to the Japanese educational system.

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A Bit On Education

• For years, the Japanese education system has
  focused on wrote skills and the memorization of
  facts. The classroom teacher was the source of
  knowledgewhat she knows is what will be taught.
• This has differed greatly from the American
  system, which has aimed to promote independent
  thinking and the application of education to real
  life situations.
• Today, many Japanese students study abroad and
  nearly 94 graduate from High School (vs. 76 in
  the U.S.).

12
Changing Roles of Foreigners in Japan

• In general, the Japanese have maintained a social
  prejudice against foreigners, especially other
  Asians.
• However, because of the growing importance of
  tourism among other things, this prejudice is
  lessening.

13
Concern for the Elderly

• The elderly population (those gt65) is growing and
  will reach 25 of the total population by 2010.
• Healthcare and social programs for the elderly
  have become cultural pressure points in Japan.

14
A Bit on Healthcare

• Japanese Healthcare trails other developed
  nations.
• Only 40 of population has sewage disposal
  services
• Tuberculosis mortality is still a key concern
• Few physicians practice preventative or primary
  healthcare
• Japan has no care system for home patients
• Physical rehabilitation and mental health
  services are not priorities in Japan