I was in Tokyo for a week or so around 2000. I didn't get any impressions of decay or stagnation, with one exception. When I went over bridges, along the river you could see long rows of blue traps put up, like tents. Looked very neat from a distance. My recollection is being told they sheltered homeless people.
On Wed, Feb 4, 2009 at 3:17 PM, John Gulick <[email protected]> wrote: > My comments on this will be equally or more impressionistic than Marty's. > > > > To the casual observer (especially the first-time visitor from the US) there > are no obvious signs > > that Japan suffered through a decade (or more) of stagnation (and now may be > headed toward > > worse). IMO this has something to do with cultural tendencies which if > not uniquely Japanese > > are distinctively so (yes, I know about the pitfalls of cultural > essentialism). There is a strong emphasis > > on public hygiene and sartorial splendor (especially WRT young women) so the > slovenly tourist > > from Peoria cannot help but be blown away by what seems to be a > hyper-affluent society. (Unless > > said Peorian is non-plussed by un-American modest houses and tiny vehicles.) > > > > These perceptions will wane once one gets away from the beaten track of the > Tokyo-Kansai corridor > > and heads for towns and villages of the provinces. In many a town and > village center you will see > > evidence of economic disinvestment (i.e. physical decay) which if not on a > par with Flint is on a par, with, > > say, typical struggling Main Street U.S.A. How much this has to do with > long-term demographic trends, > > how much it has to do with socio-spatial restructuring, and how much it > has to do with the 1990's slump > > is not known to me, but at least the latter two "factors" are deeply > interconnected. For example, during the > > 1990's, struggling small-to-medium size industry in the sticks, accustomed > to being sub-contractors to > > the Tokyo-Kansai conglomerates, either went under altogether (more often) or > relocated to China (less so). > > Backwoods localities got by on public works pork from the LDP and the > Ministry of Construction. Then the > > Koizumi "neo-liberal" (of a sort) faction of the LDP became influential (if > not hegemonic) and this type of > > patronage was significantly curtailed. > > > > > > > > > > > > > ________________________________ > Windows Live™: Keep your life in sync. See how it works. > _______________________________________________ > pen-l mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l > > _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
