US media coverage of Japan’s economy overly negative?
Article/Journalism, Return on JET-vestment 
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There’s an excellent letter in the New York Times from Yasuhisa Kawamura of the Consulate General of Japan in New York in which he makes the case that U.S. media coverage of Japan’s economy has been overly negative. The gist of it is, Sure, times are tough in Japan. But they’re also tough in the U.S. and elsewhere. Nonetheless, there’s still a vibrant economy and significant innovation and other activity going on in Japan.
If any JETs or JET alums or Friends of JET would like to weigh in on this, it would be nice to hear some first-hand perspectives from people who are currently living in Japan or travel back and forth frequently.
Here’s a link to the letter: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/03/opinion/lweb03japan.html?scp=1&sq=kawamura&st=cse
And here’s the full text of the letter:
To the Editor:
By oversimplifying and exaggerating certain socioeconomic aspects at the expense of the broader picture, “Japan Goes From Dynamic to Disheartened” (“The Great Deflation” series, front page, Oct. 17) depicts some interesting “trees” but misses the “forest” that is Japan today.
Unfortunately, the story’s few anecdotal views do not accurately reflect a diverse nation of 120 million people and one of the world’s largest economies. During these times of severe economic challenges around the globe, similarly pessimistic views about the future could surely be found in almost any Group of 8 country.
Far from being an “afterthought” weary of its global role, Japan remains committed to active leadership in the world. This international outlook is best reflected in Japan’s policies and the vibrancy of its young people. Take Afghanistan, where a $5 billion aid commitment supports 96,000 local policemen, has built 650 schools and has provided polio and other essential vaccines to 47 million children.
Additionally, Japanese youngsters, supported by the affluence of the past decades, enjoy diverse career choices, and, according to recent surveys, the most desirable job for Japanese university graduates remains working in the field of international trade.
Yasuhisa Kawamura
Director, Japan Information Center
Consulate General of Japan
New York, Oct. 29, 2010
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