Whatever happened to Japanese electronics?

[unhappycamper]

http://atimes.com/atimes/Japan/JAP-01-221113.html



Whatever happened to Japanese electronics?
By Steven K Vogel
Nov 22, '13

Japan has not only suffered from dismal macroeconomic performance over the past two decades, it has also lost its edge in areas of its greatest competitive strength, such as electronics, especially information and communications technology (ICT) hardware [1]. Japanese electronics firms have declined by many standard measures of industrial performance, such as market share, exports, and profits.

Japan's post-war economic miracle did not quietly fizzle out, but rather exploded in grandiose fashion in the early 1990s. Japan's descent from industrial dominance arrived later, evolved more slowly, and varied considerably by sector - and yet the turn of fortunes was equally stunning. Japanese manufacturers' global market share dropped from 76% to 3% from 1987 to 2004 in DRAM chips; from 95% to 20% from 1997 to 2006 in DVD players; from 100 to 5% from 1995 to 2005 in liquid crystal display panels; from 100% to 20% from 2003 to 2007 in car navigation systems; from 45 to 21% from 2004 to 2007 in solar energy panels; and from 90% to 48% from 2000 to 2008 in lithium ion batteries (See Figure 1). [2]



One government report estimates that Japanese electronics companies produced 70% of an iPod in 2005 but only 20% of an iPad in 2010.[3] Japan's share of OECD ICT goods exports dropped from 16.8% in 1999 to 10.4% in 2011 (See Table 1).

[newblewtoo]

1. Kick: For those who remember

the boom and bust cycle of Japan. From cheap friction toys that flooded the market in the '50's to the high end electronics that changed high fidelity and television in the early '70's, some called it the Demming Miracle. The truth may be more in line with the fact that the manufacturing base had to be totally rebuilt which allowed it all to happen. Today that base has aged. So much for quality circles. Similar comparisons can be made here. The US manufacturing base remained largely in tact following WWII and there was plenty of people with money chasing what had been scarce consumer goods due to rationing. Thus the boom and bust cycle. Something to think about when you hear about the next great management craze that is going to save the world.

[Demeter]

2. japan gave up

They decided to enjoy their wealth, instead of creating it.

Just like the US princes of industry.

[Warpy]

3. Japan seems to refine designs and develop the most efficient manufacturing processes

but they have their corporate greedheads, too, and their factories have been exported. First they went to Korea. Now they're all over Asia. That's why the proportion of Japanese made parts is declining so quickly.

I saw that when I went to buy my last TV. The parent company had a Japanese name, the company with the name on the TV was in South Korea, and the box said "made in China."

We're not the only ones being robbed of the jobs that used to sustain us.