Following The Sun Also Sets, this book provides a survey of the new international nature of Japan, Japanese firms and Japanese people. It examines the Japanese presence in Europe and the US and the effect this is having, particularly on business and management.

Japan's official surrender to the United States in 1945 brought to an end one of the most bitter and brutal military conflicts of the twentieth century. U.S. government officials then faced the task of transforming Japan from enemy to ally, not only in top-level diplomatic relations but also in the minds of the American public. Only ten years after World War II, this transformation became a success as middle-class American consumers across the country were embracing Japanese architecture, films, hobbies, philosophy, and religion. Cultural institutions on both sides of the Pacific along with American tastemakers promoted a new image of Japan in keeping with State Department goals. Focusing on traditions instead of modern realities, Americans came to view Japan as a nation that was sophisticated and beautiful yet locked harmlessly in a timeless "Oriental" past. What ultimately led many Americans to embrace Japanese culture was a desire to appear affluent and properly "tasteful" in the status-conscious suburbs of the 1950s. In How to Reach Japan by Subway, Meghan Warner Mettler studies the shibui phenomenon, in which middle-class American consumers embraced Japanese culture while still exoticizing this new aesthetic. By examining shibui through the popularity of samurai movies, ikebana flower arrangement, bonsai cultivation, home and garden design, and Zen Buddhism, Mettler provides a new context and perspective for understanding how Americans encountered a foreign nation in their everyday lives.

China's new economic surge is a surprise to all, but this ancient land remains a myth to both foreigners and Chinese. Get the inside story from a Chinese journalist/consultant about China's business, society, and politics under globalization and capitalism. This revised volume gives an insider's analysis on what's behind China's surge and its implications to the world. It covers key global issues such as manufacturing and job transfers, Chinese multinationals vs. global giants, and changing production, trade and investment trends, as well as evolving international relations."China's Global Reach" explores:- The ever-increasing influence of foreign multinationals (15 plus case studies);- National and business competition;- The ever-expanding power of Chinese multinationals (15 plus case studies);- Global job and manufacturing transfers;- The rise of Chinese consumers vs. opportunities;- China's political-economic reform;- Changing global production and economic map;- Comparative studies on China, US, Europe, Japan and India;- Evolving international relations;- Convergent movement of global civilizations; and- And more - including an afterword by Andre Gunder Frank!"China's Global Reach: Markets, Multinationals, and Globalization" is a straightforward and timely analysis of a changing world in relation to a fast-developing China. It is a book perfect for professionals, investors, policy makers, educators, and students, as well as for anyone who questions how the world will move ahead to the next stages.ReviewsJames Borton, China Venture News:"Must read for all businessmen going to China."William Ratliff, Hoover Fellow at Stanford University:"Five Stars."Dr. Paul Close, Centre for the Study of Globalization and Regionalization, University of Warwick, UK:"Very insightful... valuable information, analysis and argument of interest ... for readers of whatever kind ...should be on all bookshelves."Ronald Hilton, Hoover Fellow at Stanford University; President, World Association of International Studies:"It takes up history of globalization ... together with Afterword by Andre Gunder Frank ... fits our Learning History Project."Contemporary History Association:"This book suggests that a new global power balance will emerge gradually and most likely indirectly."

For many decades Japan enjoyed great success with its export-oriented economy and the outsourcing of its foreign policy to the United States under the US security umbrella. Its role in the world was simple, and times were good. But times have changed: with the end of the Cold War, the collapse of its bubble economy, a shrinking domestic population, global instabilities after 9-11, the rise of China, and other seismic shifts, Japan now faces a much more complicated world. In this groundbreaking and provocative discussion, three foreigners who have lived and worked in Japan - a Canadian, a Frenchman and a Spaniard - argue that Japan has much to gain by pursuing a more engaged, outward-looking, multilateral posture in its region and globally. While the country will continue to enjoy good relations with the West, the time has come for Japan to embrace its Asian heritage and future, as well as its own potential contribution to world affairs. A globally engaged, more open Japan, the authors argue, is win-win-win: good for Japan, good for Asia, and good for the world. If Japan is truly to become a global citizen, however, it must not only reach out more to the world, it must also admit more of the world - new ideas, people, and capital from afar - on its own soil. But is Japan - are Japanese - prepared to do so?

Global business today is played by new rules -- many of which are being written by the Japanese and their remarkably successful companies. Because the Japanese are redefining business as we know it, Western companies expecting to profit from the new global marketplace must first learn to compete and succeed against the Japanese in Japan. James C. Morgan, Chairman of Applied Materials, Inc., the leading supplier of advanced processing equipment to the worldwide semiconductor industry which does about forty percent of its business in Japan, and J. Jeffrey Morgan, who has worked in Tokyo on the "inside" at Mitsui & Co., Japan's oldest trading conglomerate, contend that apathy and ignorance have prevented many Western companies from capitalizing on the enormous opportunities for business in Japan. In this brilliant examination of Japanese markets, companies, and business practices -- with special emphasis on the establishment of Applied Materials Japan -- the Morgans, father and son, assert that success in the world of Japanese business is determined by two factors: technology and relationships. Candidly discussing their own mistakes and failures as well as their triumphs, the authors provide invaluable insights into the specific challenges facing Western companies in establishing a presence in Japan: problems in financing the venture, product design and production, marketing and distribution, and most important, creating long-term relationships or "putting on a Japanese face." The extraordinary success of Applied Materials Japan -- hailed by George Bush on the campaign trail in 1988 as "a model for all America" -- is testimony to the valuable lessons to be learned from this book. The Morgans provide a clearly written, step-by-step framework for reorienting company thinking, revising corporate strategy, and revitalizing any organization for world class competitiveness. Using vivid examples of Western companies that have both succeeded admirably and failed miserably in Japan, Cracking the Japanese Market is a straightforward examination of what it takes to compete successfully there -- and by extension in the world today.

This book explores the social and cultural dimensions of Japan's global presence as an economic giant. Areas examined include Japanese multinational corporations, popular music and perceptions of Japan in France and Korea.