Economy still feeling aftershocks

          While Japan struggles to clean up the war zone left behind by the tsunami that decimated it's northeastern coast on March 11, it's economy is starting to feel the aftershocks of the quake. Known as a hub for technological production and fuel efficient automobiles, Japan has been forced to reassess it's short term future as closures of plants have almost halted fabrication of things ranging from smart phone accessories to Toyotas.

“This is a serious situation, and it has the potential to affect many markets, including the Americas,” the executive, Carlos Tavares, said. “We are going to make sure we address the issues as fast as we can. We have a buffer, a cushion, that’s going to give us a little bit of time to bring things back on track.”  The New York Times

     The global economy that we live in ensures that what's affecting Japan will surely affect markets in foreign countries. Volvo, a car company based in Sweden has already reported a shortage of Japanese made GPS devices that it uses in the production of it's cars. Stating that they were on their last 10 days' supply with no signs pointing toward a new shipment coming soon, production there may also be coming to a standstill. 

“It’s hour-by-hour work to get a grip on the situation,” said Per-Ake Froberg, chief spokesman for Volvo, as it girds for a production halt. The New York Times

      Japan's shuttering of plants while trying to deal with the fallout from a damaged nuclear reactor and the tsunami cleanup has already impacted things closer to home here in California. Due to fears of shortages, the average price of a Toyota Prius has risen by nearly $1,800 and has many forecasting shortages of other fuel efficient models from Japanese brands as the price of oil continues to rise. Goudy Honda, one of Honda's largest dealerships which is located in Alhambra, CA is one of those dealerships bracing for shortages.

“In the short term we’ll have enough cars, but in a few months it’s going to be crazy,” Mr. Iskandar said. “We’re trying to buy as many used cars as we can. At least that’s an option if a customer wants a Honda. We could give them a year-old or two-year-old certified car.” The New York Times

      With the rising cost of oil now compounded by a semi-occupation of Libya by the United States and allied forces, the market for fuel economical cars surely didn't need another blow such as this one. This has created a type of perfect storm where smaller, fuel efficient Japanese cars are going to come at a premium as people try to escape the executioner at the gas pump.

Nuclear fallout under wraps?

     As the saga continues to unfold in Japan in the wake of the the destructive tsunami that decimated the country last friday, questions are being raised about the flow of information from the government setcor to the public. When the initial explosion rocked the Fukishima Daiichi nuclear facilitiy, Japnaese officials claimed that they were uncertain whether the explosion had any type of lasting impact to the plant's stabilitiy and that everything would be evaluated and taken care of.
     Since then, the eyes of the world have been glued to endless coverage of the smoking and intermittently exploding Daiichi plant that the Japanese government and Tokyo Electric have maintained they will eventually stabalize. Plumes of radioactive smoke continue to rise from the smoldering reactor as emergency volunteers from the plant frantically try to keep the fuel rods submerged in water to prevent a full blown nuclear meltdown. However, as media outlets outside of Japan paint a picture that grows more grim with each passing day, the government and Tokyo Electric continue to hold their stance that the problem is not as big as it seems.
      This has angered politicians and heads of state from around the world as they scramble for crucial information that they need to pass on to citizens of their own countries in regards to how to prepare for the fallout of the nuclear crisis unfolding. The United States has sent nuclear experts of their own who have broadened the cuation zone around the Japanese reactor to 50 miles, a stark contrast to the 12-mile evactuation zone that Japan has imposed.

     The criticisim of the handling of dissemination of information has deep rooted traditions in Japanese culture. Heavily entrenched in honor, the Japanese culture doesn't provide much room for dealing with or accepting defeat and failure. In the aftermath of the nuclear disaster, many have speculated not whether the Japanese are downplaying the extent of the damage, but how much. The criticism from abroad is nothing new for the Japanese, however, the unrest with the lack of information from its citizens is a new development.

The less-than-straight talk is rooted in a conflict-averse culture that avoids direct references to unpleasantness. Until recently, it was standard practice not to tell cancer patients about their diagnoses, ostensibly to protect them from distress. Even Emperor Hirohito, when he spoke to his subjects for the first time to mark Japan’s surrender in World War II, spoke circumspectly, asking Japanese to “endure the unendurable.” -The New York Times

      Ironically enough, Japan is ranked eleventh in the press freedom index while the United States is twentieth. However, the overwhelming notion across the globe is that the unfolding disaster is being dealt with in a very secretive manner which is scary to everyone, especially to those in the immediate fallout zone.To add to that, the Japanese government's communication with the company trying to save the reactor seems disjointed at best.  This skepticism and concern is what forced the U.S. to send in their own experts to reassess the situation to not only better inform the Japanese citizens, but the world as well.

     President Obama announced that the nuclear plume that reached the west coast of the United States today poses no immediate threat to the health of our citizens. However, as the situation at the Japanese nuclear facility continues to grow more dire, looking more and more like a complete meltdown is more imminent, information will be at a premium. The questions is, will the Japanese government be willing to disclose the truth if it comes at the cost of them losing face on the global stage.      

And the earth shook

    

     The aftermath of what was the largest earthquake in Japan's recorded history is starting to become more clear as the death toll continues to rise and the financial losses are tabulated. The earthquake that struck about 80 miles off the east coast of Japan sent a tsunami racing toward the group of islands that offered little resistance to the awe of mother nature. Waves of up to 30 feet tall bombarded the coastal cities of northeast Japan sweeping away buildings, cars, boats and anything else in it's path.

     Estimated at magnitude 8.9, the quake is the fifth largest in recorded history. Tsunami warnings were issued to most countries in the Pacific Rim as the waves rippled outward from the epicenter. The surge reached the California coast Friday morning causing some property damage to boats that were ripped away from their slips. One person in Northern California was carried out to sea by the storm surge as they were trying to photograph the occurrence; they are still missing.
     The devastation was carried live by news stations around the world, allowing viewers to watch in real time the devastating force of nature. Burning buildings were swept away by the tsunami which also caused considerable damage to two of Japan's nuclear power plants which has prompted concern for radiation pollution. The damage caused by the waves compromised the cooling systems of at the plants and now experts fear that it may cause leakages of radioactive material.
     A Japanese news agency estimated the death toll to be 133 as of 1 a.m. Saturday but those numbers are expected to rise. The New York Times later reported that government officials had reported finding 200-300 bodies near the Sendai region of Japan which was one of the closer cities to the quake's epicenter. Officials also speculated that they expect those numbers to rise over 1,000 as they continue to sift through the carnage of the earthquake.

     Despite the loss of life and the economic implications of the clean up and rebuilding of damaged buildings and infrastructure, some experts believe that Japan may have gotten off easy in regards to impact to the long term health of their economy. Because the quake was centered near the northern provinces, which are some of the more populated regions, they are not part of the industrial belt that fuels the nation's economy.

 “If this had been a couple hundred miles to the south, the economic and human toll would have been almost incomprehensible,” said Marcus Noland, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. “In that respect, Japan dodged an enormous bullet here.”-The New York Times

      The earthquake and the following tsunami are affecting many people outside the Japanese border. Many business people are stranded either in Japan or abroad as most flights in and out of Japan have been canceled or delayed. President Obama has pledged to help the Japanese through this trying time and has already deployed two Navy warships stocked with human aide supplies to assist the people of the islands. Japan, one of the top 5 world economies is a large supplier of electronics and automobiles to the United States and the rest of the western world. What's bad for Japan is in turn bad for the United States because a crippled Japanese economy would undoubtedly lead to an increase of the price of their exports which would be passed along to American consumers. This reality reinforces the idea that we really are living in a global economy, whether you're paying in yens or dollars.
     However, this decisive move comes at a rather peculiar time for the United States in regards to foreign relations. Albeit the two situations are very different, both Libya and Japanese involve the need for assistance from outside parties as an act of humanity. Japan, as stated before, is a big player in the world market and the United States has a vested interest in their economy because of the ramifications that they could have on the U.S. economy. Libya on the other hand, has been regarded by U.S. officials as expendable for many reasons. The two largest being we have nothing to gain financially and they're not a necessity in the fight against terrorism.
     These are both human rights issues, one brought about by an earthquake and the other by a delusional dictator. President Obama is playing the diplomatic card and erring on the side of caution because of past mistakes by the U.S. intervening in foreign disputes. But this case is different, the people of Libya are clamoring for U.S. aid but they might be waiting for a long time because helping them is not beneficial to the American agenda.

     

Japanese Kitchens Revealing American Bad Habits

   
     Japan, well known for its rich tradition of cultural cuisine is witnessing an Americanization effect in the kitchens at home. More and more homemakers are opting for the quick fix when it comes to family dinner rather than slaving away for hours to prepare a traditional Japanese meal that requires a lengthy preparation time as well as numerous dishes to be cleaned for each course.
     This phenomenon is having a two-headed affect inside the Japanese home. Most notably, Japanese children are suffering from malnutrition at alarming rates because of the lack of vegetables being served in the home as well as other adverse effects tied into a poor diet.

     "The amount of vegetables served (in the Japanese home) has been dwindling at an alarming rate," writes Iwamura. "Even when they are served, it is one or two cherry tomatoes, a few slices of cucumber, a lettuce leaf. . . . Over 40 percent of mothers claim that their children suffer from constipation, but the figure must be higher, considering that there are cases that the mothers are not aware of."-The Japan Times

     The women of Japan are adopting habits that are prevalent in our country; taking the easy way out when it comes time to make dinner. They complain that vegetables are either too expensive or too much of a nuisance to store so they choose not to incorporate them into their meals. They've also began to resort to the use of processed and frozen meals in lieu of the traditional family meal that is synonymous with Japanese culture.
     Nobuko Iwamura, author of  "Kazoku no Katte Desho!" ("It's My Kitchen and I'll Do What I Like in It!") conducts a survey that analyzes the weekly intakes of the average Japanese family. Over the 13 years of the survey's existance, Iwamura has noticed a rise in obesity, high cholesterol, impaired liver function and diabetes, to name a few.

     "Since 2005," writes Iwamura, "meals made up entirely of processed food dishes have comprised over 40 percent of all meals. We even visited homes where every meal for a week was made up of them." One 33-year-old mother boasted, "I've got a Seven-11, a Lawson, a Familia and a Ministop convenience store near the house, so I can really vary where I buy my meals and not get tired of them!"

     The problems that the Japanese are facing in as they become a more fast paced culture, much like the one we're accustomed to, will only get worse as they become more and more of a fast food culture. Whether it be take out or frozen food, Japanese, much like their American counterparts are subscribing to convenience over health. These shifts from traditional values are proof that a countries values can be exported through the form of companies and media that exude a certain attitude and lifestyle. In the case of America, it's instant gratification in a fast paced society. Unfortunately for Japanese children, convenience for their mothers comes at the cost of their well being.
The Japan Times