From: cthorne@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Charles E Thorne)
Subject: Re: Germany tweaks Japan
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 15:14:30 GMT

In article <2419@usna.NAVY.MIL> wdw@math2.sma.usna.navy.MIL (Wm. Douglas Withers -- math  FACULTY <wdw@sma.usna.navy.mil>) writes:
>In article <justin.722232851@mik.uky.edu> justin@nx30.mik.uky.edu (justin sullivan) writes:
>>In <Bxz9t1.zM@world.std.com> cmr@world.std.com (Charles M Richmond) writes:

>>[UPI article about Germany's gripes with Japan's way of doing business deleted]
>>This is probably a good example of the single largest flaw with Western
>>thinking (American thinking, to be exact): We think everything should be 
>>done *OUR* way.

>Explain again how comments made by Germans concerning Japanese illustrate
>a problem with American thinking?

>>I'm sure Western businessmen HATE to do business in Japan
>>because of this complex distribution system. They can't compete because
>>they don't know how it works, they're not used to it, etc.

>Don't take this as a blanket excuse for Western businessmen (who do plenty of
>irritating whining), but the Japanese distribution system creates plenty
>of problems for Japanese consumers.  Criticism of this system is not always
>an attempt to divert attention from one's own inadequacies.

>>I hear that the Japanese markets are wide open.

>Yeah, I hear that too.  I've heard also that antigravity has been perfected
>and that slavery is about to be reinstituted in the South.  I've even heard
>some things that you might doubt the veracity of.

>>It's not Japan's fault that Western businesses aren't familiar with the
>>Japanese way of doing business.

Virtually every industrial country has over the years of their existence
created ways to benefit their own businesses and to deter other countries
from taking advantage of them.  There is little exception to this.

One problem which U.S. businesses perceive with Japan arose as a result of
the U.S. wanting to encourage Japanese business at a time that it wasn't
expected that Japanese exports were ever amount to much nor that Japanese
markets would be something which U.S. businesses would want.  Both of
these assumptions are no longer true.  Now, with about 2/3 of the U.S.
trade deficit being with Japan, there is disappointment (and even anger)
that the Japanese market is still closed to outside businesses.

This is also true of Europe.  Each European country has requirements (which
even other Europeans have difficulty dealing with) which restrict trade.  The
Europeans will probably have difficulty in instituting their Common Market
goals because of this.  France does a fairly effective job of deterring
imports of Japanese VCR's by requiring them to enter through a port that 
doesn't have capacity to handle the volume, thus greatly restricting what
France imports.  The current issue of European agricultural subsidies is
an issue here as well (the French wish to export their wine to all countries
in the world but don't wish to import any products in return).

It's difficult for someone living in the U.S. to understand the differences
in foreign countries.  The U.S. is about the same land mass as Europe and
much larger than Japan.  In the U.S. someone from N.Y. can ship goods to
California with almost no restrictions.  It's also possible to move from 
NY to Calif. without permission from either state or the federal government.
These are advantages to Americans which don't apply to either Asians or
Europeans (A British subject can't just move to say Greece, or ship goods
to Greece nor could a Japanese or Chinese subject easily cross country
boundaries).

Charlie

Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan