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- The Japanese economy continues to experience success
- despite the recession in the United States. Since 1987,
- Japan has enjoyed strong economic growth, highlighted by
- low inflation and unemployment and led by strong domestic
- rather than external demand. The real GNP growth rate in
- 1990 was 5.6 percent. Japanese monetary policy played an
- important role through 1989 in sustaining expansion of
- Japanese domestic demand, while falling import prices and a
- measure of deregulation kept inflation at bay. Troubled
- stocks and more stringent monetary policy have not yet
- dampened perceptibly the strong growth in all components of
- domestic demand, except housing. Consumer spending and
- corporate investment are the mainstays of the current boom.
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- More and more U.S. companies are realizing that the best
- way to respond to Japanese competition at home and in world
- markets is to become involved in the Japanese market. Not
- only is Japan the world's second largest economy ($2.96
- trillion) after the United States, it is the largest
- economy in Asia and the second largest market for U.S.
- exports after Canada. Japan has a highly educated and
- efficient labor force, a stable government, an economy
- driven by high levels of household savings and capital
- investment, a huge and growing domestic market, and
- continuing growth exceeding that of the United States. Not
- only are there opportunities for U.S. companies in the
- Japanese market, but market entry into Japan should be a
- vital part of any company's international marketing
- strategy.
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- Over the next several years, Japan will offer many new
- business opportunities -- in infrastructure build-up, as
- the tremendous economic growth has brought a need for
- airports, roads, bridges, and housing; in leisure, as the
- Japanese worker finds more time and money to spend off the
- job; in retirement communities and health care with the
- "graying" of Japanese society; in changing and broadening
- consumer tastes, as the average Japanese consumer has
- become more cosmopolitan with greater exposure to foreign
- products; and in Japan's large Official Development
- Assistance (ODA) projects.
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