Joichi Ito has an informative Op Ed piece in today’s New York Times. In it he quietly affirms a need for Japan to eschew as necessary the short term profits in supplying China, to move away from the heavy industrial export economic base, the raw materials commodities like cement and steel that fueled the post World War Two recovery, and instead support “the stunted service and high-tech industries that Japan needs for long-term growth.”
Interesting cultural and political observations abound in the piece, and make it highly readable even for those who may not be particularly interested in the ins and outs of Japanese domestic politics. For example:
More broadly, while most people liked Mr. Abe and believed him to be smart, the Japanese news media often called him “Kuuki ga Yomenai†or, for short, “K. Y.†“Kuuki†means “air†and “yomenai†means “cannot read.†Not being able to read the air means that you don’t know that your guest wants another cup of tea or that you should be serving cold tea because it is a hot day. Reading the air is an essential trait for a Japanese politician.
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