Is Japan still competitive? Could Japan thrive in a turn-of-the-century economy, as it did in the less open, less mobile, and less technology-intensive environment of the 1960s to 1980s? Many people have questions about this issue. Many of Japan's original advantages have now turned into disadvantages. Japan's inherent social and cultural norms appear at odds with innovation, entrepreneurship, and risk-taking that are hallmarks of today's competition.
