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This is the leadin to a long article on the new views of the Japanese vs the American views on criti
From: David Farber <>
Date: Wed, 9 Mar 1994 12:02:06 -0500
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From press release issued November 1993
JAPAN MONITOR '93 (Part I) Assisting Decision Makers with An International Perspective Infoplan, a leading marketing research & consulting firm in Tokyo, has released key results of the Japan Monitor, a consumer survey which is designed to annually monitor changes in Japanese values and attitudes and to predict their future behaviors, as an integral service of Yankelovich Partners International. Based on the Yankelovich US Social Monitor which started in 1971, the Japan Monitor can also be compared internationally, facilitating marketers in planning and executing global strategies. Infoplan conducted 1,200 face-to-face personal interviews across Japan in the spring of '93, and highlights of its major findings are summarized as follows... Japan Monitor '93 summarized the current set of values held by the Japanese as consisting of: o Streamlining o Risk Management o Responsibility/Accountability o Substance o Personal Style o Lifting Life Beyond The Everyday Several elements of these values were also found in the US Monitor, which predicted the Neo-traditional Values for the 90's, or the balance/synthesis of the traditional values of the 50's and the new values of the 70's. This Neo-traditional position seems to be less relevant in Japan. The Japanese are now suffering from the worst recession of a structural, not cyclical, nature, in the wake of the burst of the "bubble" after achieving a post- WWII economic miracle. This is compounded by a current lack of leadership. The appreciation of the Japanese Yen, or "Endaka" has made export-oriented companies, the locomotive of her past rapid growth, less competitive in the global marketplace and forced them to reconsider the rules of the game. Recurring scandals involving political, business and bureaucratic leaders have forced the Japanese to reevaluate the ethics and fairness lacking in their social structure. Japanese consumers, traditionally perceived as quiet and reserved, finally began to demand a major restructuring in the distribution system and government regulations, claiming that they cannot benefit from the "Endaka" under the current system. The late 1990's in Japan will see an increasing Consumer Power, and this is an opportunity for alert marketeers. Given this as background, the Japan Monitor '93 revealed that the Japanese are in a flux, having lost a sense of direction and searching for a new balance and equilibrium, which is neither going back to the traditional values, inheriting the new values of the 80's, nor balancing of the two. Concerned about their uncertain future, 70% of the respondents agreed that they have to lower their expectations about their standard of living. They are much less encouraged about their future than in the past: Present Standard of Living Compared with: One Generation Ago: One Generation From Now: Better 81% 23% * Same 10% 30% Lower 5% 22% Don't Know 5% 26% * It is also interesting to note that an emerging generation, the Baby Boomers Jr., or "Dankai Jr.," clearly indicated some differences from their predecessors' values and attitudes, implying they will probably help define the future values in Japan. Accordingly, the future Japan Monitors will carefully watch changes in their values, attitudes and behaviors. Following next are key findings regarding each of the six overriding values as being compared with the US Monitor data, along with their implications for marketers.
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- This is the leadin to a long article on the new views of the Japanese vs the American views on criti David Farber (Mar 09)