Comments on: What happened to 'Made in Japan?' http://business.blogs.cnn.com/2008/07/11/what-happened-to-made-in-japan/ Get to grips with the issues affecting world business Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:43:39 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Nicholas Folkes http://business.blogs.cnn.com/2008/07/11/what-happened-to-made-in-japan/#comment-2109 Nicholas Folkes Sat, 23 Aug 2008 09:24:23 +0000 http://cnnibusiness.wordpress.com/?p=69#comment-2109 I just found this article on 'Japan Times' website. One of Japan's top cell phone innovators says that for all his country's technological prowess, it could never have produced the iPhone. The progenitor: Takeshi Natsuno, who developed NTT DoCoMo's i-mode Internet browsing service for the cell phone, speaks in an interview Thursday at Dwango Co. in Tokyo, where he is an adviser. Japan's telecommunications industry stifles the kind of creativity that is so apparent in Apple Inc.'s Web-surfing phone, said Takeshi Natsuno, who developed Japan's first Internet-linking cell phone service, i-mode, in 1999, when such systems were still ground-breaking. "This is a great device," he said, affectionately fingering a black iPhone 3G during an interview Thursday. "This kind of device cannot be produced by Japanese manufacturers. NEVER." http://search.japantimes.co.jp/member/member.html?mode=getarticle&file=nb20080823a3.html No doubt America is more technologically advanced than Japan. The Japanese seem to be better at capitalising on ideas by making devices in Japan but unfortunately America Inc. continue to manufacture their ideas offshore........what a shame! I just found this article on 'Japan Times' website.

One of Japan's top cell phone innovators says that for all his country's technological prowess, it could never have produced the iPhone.

The progenitor: Takeshi Natsuno, who developed NTT DoCoMo's i-mode Internet browsing service for the cell phone, speaks in an interview Thursday at Dwango Co. in Tokyo, where he is an adviser.
Japan's telecommunications industry stifles the kind of creativity that is so apparent in Apple Inc.'s Web-surfing phone, said Takeshi Natsuno, who developed Japan's first Internet-linking cell phone service, i-mode, in 1999, when such systems were still ground-breaking.
"This is a great device," he said, affectionately fingering a black iPhone 3G during an interview Thursday. "This kind of device cannot be produced by Japanese manufacturers. NEVER."

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/member/member.html?mode=getarticle&file=nb20080823a3.html

No doubt America is more technologically advanced than Japan. The Japanese seem to be better at capitalising on ideas by making devices in Japan but unfortunately America Inc. continue to manufacture their ideas offshore........what a shame!

]]> By: Nicholas Folkes http://business.blogs.cnn.com/2008/07/11/what-happened-to-made-in-japan/#comment-2085 Nicholas Folkes Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:01:24 +0000 http://cnnibusiness.wordpress.com/?p=69#comment-2085 Japan is in major trouble; the world's largest Govt. debt, fastest greying population in world, biggest food importer in world and the worst economic growth in the developed world. America hollowed out in manufacturing in the 70's and lost the hart of its nation and this is now happening to Japan. Globalisation has hurt America over the past 30 years and will now help destroy Japan's industries too. Japan is in major trouble; the world's largest Govt. debt, fastest greying population in world, biggest food importer in world and the worst economic growth in the developed world.

America hollowed out in manufacturing in the 70's and lost the hart of its nation and this is now happening to Japan. Globalisation has hurt America over the past 30 years and will now help destroy Japan's industries too.

]]> By: L Garza http://business.blogs.cnn.com/2008/07/11/what-happened-to-made-in-japan/#comment-1926 L Garza Mon, 11 Aug 2008 02:00:07 +0000 http://cnnibusiness.wordpress.com/?p=69#comment-1926 What the reporter of this article (and sadly, many others as well) have failed to "remember" is that many modern electronic devices, including the VCR, computers, etc., were originally invented in the US, not Japan... What the Japanese were able to do, however, was shrink production costs and the products themselves, making them viable to consumers the world over. I personally own lots of Sony products, so I'm not knocking the Japanese, rather just trying to give credit where it's due. What the reporter of this article (and sadly, many others as well) have failed to "remember" is that many modern electronic devices, including the VCR, computers, etc., were originally invented in the US, not Japan... What the Japanese were able to do, however, was shrink production costs and the products themselves, making them viable to consumers the world over. I personally own lots of Sony products, so I'm not knocking the Japanese, rather just trying to give credit where it's due.

]]> By: f van karssen http://business.blogs.cnn.com/2008/07/11/what-happened-to-made-in-japan/#comment-1899 f van karssen Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:02:25 +0000 http://cnnibusiness.wordpress.com/?p=69#comment-1899 We in the United States are often forced to read about success stories to help us feel better -- mostly by putting down others. As usual these days, our focus is wrong. For example we whine about having to find more oil at home to solve our problems instead of looking at Japan who builds its vast economy without having major oil reserves herself. How are they managing such an economy? We should follow such a model first and then focus perhaps on how we feed that new economic engine even better. We in the United States are often forced to read about success stories to help us feel better - mostly by putting down others. As usual these days, our focus is wrong. For example we whine about having to find more oil at home to solve our problems instead of looking at Japan who builds its vast economy without having major oil reserves herself. How are they managing such an economy? We should follow such a model first and then focus perhaps on how we feed that new economic engine even better.

]]> By: desijadoo http://business.blogs.cnn.com/2008/07/11/what-happened-to-made-in-japan/#comment-1831 desijadoo Mon, 28 Jul 2008 08:53:45 +0000 http://cnnibusiness.wordpress.com/?p=69#comment-1831 I haven't lived in Japan but I have been to Japan couple of times and I agree that Japan is way ahead of the west in consumer technologies. 3G, live TV, integration with Yahoo IM etc.., games, texting, video conf. , push to talk, etc are way of life there and is now catching on in the US. Japan's phone consumer market is geared toward personal entertainment and not towards business needs. Their phones are media rich and lack mundane business appointment, document handling etc... Work hard at office, play hard with your gadgets. The author really needs to make a leap out of the well she is living in and experience the world outside. I haven't lived in Japan but I have been to Japan couple of times and I agree that Japan is way ahead of the west in consumer technologies. 3G, live TV, integration with Yahoo IM etc.., games, texting, video conf. , push to talk, etc are way of life there and is now catching on in the US.
Japan's phone consumer market is geared toward personal entertainment and not towards business needs. Their phones are media rich and lack mundane business appointment, document handling etc... Work hard at office, play hard with your gadgets.

The author really needs to make a leap out of the well she is living in and experience the world outside.

]]> By: gatkin09 http://business.blogs.cnn.com/2008/07/11/what-happened-to-made-in-japan/#comment-1734 gatkin09 Sat, 19 Jul 2008 13:01:10 +0000 http://cnnibusiness.wordpress.com/?p=69#comment-1734 What a lot of western (U.S) biased reporting rubbish! As others have pointed out Japan is way ahead in terms of mobile handset technology. The U.S loves to rubbish Japan whenever possible but the fact is that for a country with few natural resources, Japan is still a major force. I wonder what ever happened to made in the USA? Okay, so some people queued up for iPhones in Tokyo, big deal. They also queue up for Ramen and Hello Kitty games as well. Japan watches the western world in regards to technology development...give me a break. Cheers from sunny and hot Japan! What a lot of western (U.S) biased reporting rubbish! As others have pointed out Japan is way ahead in terms of mobile handset technology.

The U.S loves to rubbish Japan whenever possible but the fact is that for a country with few natural resources, Japan is still a major force. I wonder what ever happened to made in the USA?

Okay, so some people queued up for iPhones in Tokyo, big deal. They also queue up for Ramen and Hello Kitty games as well.

Japan watches the western world in regards to technology development...give me a break.

Cheers from sunny and hot Japan!

]]> By: Jerry T http://business.blogs.cnn.com/2008/07/11/what-happened-to-made-in-japan/#comment-1558 Jerry T Sat, 12 Jul 2008 07:43:46 +0000 http://cnnibusiness.wordpress.com/?p=69#comment-1558 In response to Shawn, I also live in Japan, and I'd like to take exception to his comment that the iPhone has not been shipped to stores outside of Tokyo or Osaka. I live in little Toyama prefecture, on the west coast, and it's considered a very rural area with only 1.2 million people. I went to a local Softbank shop, and not only was there no one in line waiting to get the phone, but they had 8 gig models on hand (but no 16 gig ones). I sat down at the counter with my wife to get one, then was shocked when we discovered the price- about ¥8,000 yen per month, and we'd have to get a new phone number (we were current Softbank customers). We decided that about $75/month just so we could fiddle around on the Internet was too steep a price. We decided to wait; perhaps in a year or so the price will come down. In the mean time, that iPod Touch is suddenly looking mighty sweet, but even there we will wait a few more months until the line is refreshed. Anyway, that's my big iPhone story- no lines, no hassle in our little local Softbank shop here in the countryside of Japan. In response to Shawn, I also live in Japan, and I'd like to take exception to his comment that the iPhone has not been shipped to stores outside of Tokyo or Osaka. I live in little Toyama prefecture, on the west coast, and it's considered a very rural area with only 1.2 million people. I went to a local Softbank shop, and not only was there no one in line waiting to get the phone, but they had 8 gig models on hand (but no 16 gig ones). I sat down at the counter with my wife to get one, then was shocked when we discovered the price- about ¥8,000 yen per month, and we'd have to get a new phone number (we were current Softbank customers). We decided that about $75/month just so we could fiddle around on the Internet was too steep a price. We decided to wait; perhaps in a year or so the price will come down. In the mean time, that iPod Touch is suddenly looking mighty sweet, but even there we will wait a few more months until the line is refreshed.

Anyway, that's my big iPhone story- no lines, no hassle in our little local Softbank shop here in the countryside of Japan.

]]> By: SweetLion/Tokyo http://business.blogs.cnn.com/2008/07/11/what-happened-to-made-in-japan/#comment-1557 SweetLion/Tokyo Sat, 12 Jul 2008 02:44:43 +0000 http://cnnibusiness.wordpress.com/?p=69#comment-1557 I had to chuckle when I read this "article": "Japan, once the unchallenged ruler of the world’s consumer electronics market, now watches as the Western world schools the East."...Sh'yeah, RIGHT! We had 3G phones way before the U.S. caught on to the trend. The phones DoCoMo and AU/KDDI produce are LIGHT YEARS ahead of anything the U.S. can come up with! The iPhone has a 'pretty' UI, yes, but in terms of technological innovativation? Don't make me laugh... I had to chuckle when I read this "article":
"Japan, once the unchallenged ruler of the world’s consumer electronics market, now watches as the Western world schools the East."...Sh'yeah, RIGHT! We had 3G phones way before the U.S. caught on to the trend.

The phones DoCoMo and AU/KDDI produce are LIGHT YEARS ahead of anything the U.S. can come up with! The iPhone has a 'pretty' UI, yes, but in terms of technological innovativation? Don't make me laugh...

]]> By: Mr. T http://business.blogs.cnn.com/2008/07/11/what-happened-to-made-in-japan/#comment-1552 Mr. T Fri, 11 Jul 2008 20:35:48 +0000 http://cnnibusiness.wordpress.com/?p=69#comment-1552 Shawn, sorry to hear that you could not get one today, but Softbank (carrier of iphone in japan) has been clear on the 2 year contract (to get the discounted price), and it actually is a standard cell phone practice in Japan (for any other cells). What's happening around the globe over the iphone may be crazy, but this little device is really fun to use. The AppStore and Itunes icons are way too easy for the users to spend $$$! Shawn,

sorry to hear that you could not get one today, but Softbank (carrier of iphone in japan) has been clear on the 2 year contract (to get the discounted price), and it actually is a standard cell phone practice in Japan (for any other cells). What's happening around the globe over the iphone may be crazy, but this little device is really fun to use. The AppStore and Itunes icons are way too easy for the users to spend $$$!

]]> By: James Pollack http://business.blogs.cnn.com/2008/07/11/what-happened-to-made-in-japan/#comment-1549 James Pollack Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:44:25 +0000 http://cnnibusiness.wordpress.com/?p=69#comment-1549 I've lived in Tokyo for years, and this is rubbish. Japanese cell phones (and technology in general)) have always been light years ahead of Western products. Most Japanese people I know don't terribly care about the iPhone because their existing keitai is better already, and has been for some time. "The Western world schools the East"?? Hardly. I can't help but wonder how much time this author has spent in the country and how many people she knows here. 95% of all consumer electronics goods sold here are strictly Japanese. Perhaps she should visit Akihabara on her next 24 hour stay here and see for herself, or is the urge to write provocative stories more important than the facts? I've lived in Tokyo for years, and this is rubbish. Japanese cell phones (and technology in general)) have always been light years ahead of Western products. Most Japanese people I know don't terribly care about the iPhone because their existing keitai is better already, and has been for some time.

"The Western world schools the East"?? Hardly. I can't help but wonder how much time this author has spent in the country and how many people she knows here. 95% of all consumer electronics goods sold here are strictly Japanese. Perhaps she should visit Akihabara on her next 24 hour stay here and see for herself, or is the urge to write provocative stories more important than the facts?

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