Quadrangulum comments

Posted in: N Korea admits failure as world condemns rocket launch See in context

They'll call it a success as they did in 98 and 09.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Posted in: Panasonic, Fujitsu, Renesas eye chip merger See in context

Indeed. However, these mergers should do much to improve competitiveness. For Japan, the less fragmentation, the better the odds of competing on price and efficiency. We're going to see a lot of mergers and tie ups in the next few years.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Japan losing its manufacturing edge to South Korea See in context

I don't think oginome is making that point at all MASSWIPE. I sympathize with his position because there's truth to what he says. I don't think it demeans South Korean accomplishments, just as pointing out Japan's need for imports, or that the source of its economic glory days comes from western inspiration, does not diminish Japanese achievements. Even if you think it's a bit overstated, the conclusion made by the posters who think Japan has completely lost, will completely lose, and will never recover a manufacturing aptitude because of a phantom social or moral or economic malaise is a million times more parroted and obnoxious.

For what it's worth, I have nothing but the utmost respect for South Korean and Chinese ingenuity and I think that if Japan wishes to emerge from these doldrums, it needs to learn from these neighbors' corporations and governments.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Posted in: Japan losing its manufacturing edge to South Korea See in context

I think oginome's point is well made. The manufacturing processes that make all these wonderful technological innovations possible are not glamorous so they rarely make the news. If you look behind the scenes at the suppliers for these parts, and more importantly, the components, know-how, and manufacturing to make these parts, you'll see a tremendous Japanese presence.

On the other hand, there has been a notable decline in the Japanese presence in the CE arena and in other "finished product" markets. However, I wouldn't attribute this to something as ephemeral and subjective as "wanting it more" or a fire in the belly as some have characterized it here. First, the challengers always have the disruptive advantage. Most importantly, I believe there's far too much segmentation in Japan. This was ideal in that very special period in the 1950s-1980s when Japan was the only wealthy state in Asia but now with the emergence of so many smart and powerful, and most importantly, tightly organized competitors, Japan needs to see some corporate consolidation to better pool resources and ideas. Note that the prowess of South Korea is being driven almost exclusively by just the three super massive brands mentioned in this article. Market pressures will make it so that Japan will also have a tightly organized corporate presence; this is already happening if you're paying attention to the news. The Sumitomo steel merger and the establishment of the Japan Display Corporation and the overseas acquisitions made possible by the strong yen herald the coming corporate trend in Japan for the rest of this decade. If Japan cannot recover its edge even after this seismic shift, then perhaps some of the portents of doom are prescient but its a bit hasty to declare an inevitable death and/or decline until this restructuring has a chance to fully take root in my opinion. I firmly believe that the edge Japan has lost is not in innovation or product quality; in the TV market for example, Panasonic, Sharp and Sony are still rated top contenders by reviewers. Rather, innovative companies like Pioneer were ousted by their size which rendered them unable to manufacture as cheap or absorb financial shocks as well as their larger rivals. Note that in 2011, that of the top ten patent registering companies, 7 or 8 were still Japanese.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Posted in: Texas-bound See in context

@NetNinja

I appreciate your rosy description of my country but that's a tad optimistic to say the least. Do you happen to live here?

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Posted in: Moody's lowers rating on Sony, Panasonic See in context

Ah_so: Restoring their competitiveness in the TV market is not a path to financial security. Even for the successful like Samsung, LG, and Sharp, there are very little profits to be had.

http://www.economist.com/blogs/schumpeter/2012/01/flat-panel-displays-0

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Clinton: U.S.-Japan relationship remains a cornerstone alliance See in context

I'm confused by your comment just-a-guy, and more confused by the person who liked your comment. How is studying Japanese going to lead to a short-lived and disgraced career, and how does the Prime Minister factor into this? I think one can question the utility, especially in America where Spanish and Mandarin Chinese should come first, but learning more languages is never a bad thing right?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Posted in: S Korean soccer club apologizes for Japan disaster banner See in context

@ NetNinja

How is this about muzzling anyone who doesn't like Japan? Celebrating the deaths of 20000+ seems to go beyond dislike, putting it mildly. I don't think any person can even begin to make a case that justifies that stance. How is it anything but a disgusting, sickening thing to say? This is not something anyone needs to waste time striving to understand.

That the perpetrator is somehow playing us is utterly ridiculous. He's an embarrassment and discredits anything he purports to advocate.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

Posted in: Maehara says he got Y590,000 from foreigners in 2005-2010 See in context

You know, as ugly as those dumb protesters are, Maehara's overwhelming popularity shows that they are just an irrelevant faction thankfully. No one serious believes this to be a offense.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Posted in: S Korean president urges Japan to teach future generations 'correct history' See in context

Japan has apologized many times. Any cursory search will turn up many results.

Also, while the point is not invalid, taking lessons on historicity from South Korea is an absolute laugh.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Posted in: 'Space Battleship Yamato' blasts off See in context

The Star Trek comparison is spot on. I think the sister ship of the Enterprise-D is actually the Yamato or the Musashi. Either way, you people getting your feathers ruffled are acting ridiculous and probably know nothing about the movie's story. Moreover, shipbuilding technology stands independent from the morality of the war and goes back to the Washington Naval Treaty, and the general war theory of the late 19th century. You can appreciate the largest battleship ever made without being a hypernationalistic war crimes apologist.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Hear this See in context

Senkaku is a legitimate cause for protest. Some of you posters are unbelievable.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Nintendo sinks into the red for first half See in context

That's what Greenpeace says and there are some irregularities with their methodology and I also believe much of the problem stems from Nintendo not making much of their information public which is no surprise considering their corporate culture. Besides, their consoles are the least power hungry so your comment depends on how you make that determination.

What unethical behavior have they engaged in since Satoru Iwata?

Also, Nintendo will be profitable in the second half and early next year.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Japan asks China to pay for damage to patrol boats See in context

Furthermore, I'm not sure why anyone thinks Japan arresting the fishing boat crew is that outrageous. Ask the Vietnamese fishermen who the Chinese held for months, in assuredly far more ghastly conditions, for drifting into the Paracel islands during a hurricane about how they feel and you wouldn't get level of vitriol you see here. Some of the responses are just ridiculous.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Microsoft's Xbox ready for bigger battle in Japan See in context

@655321

I love how these snarks never acknowledge Apple.

Anyways, the old Japanese xenophobia argument seems rather hasty as there are many more reasonable explanations for what you are seeing. First, as someone pointed out already, stores not promoting the system in light of its poor sales is hardly evidence for your claim. Were the British xenophobic when many retailers chose to forgo the Gamecube altogether? This is perhaps the worst evidence you could possibly use to suggest that Japanese nationalism is the cause for the 360's situation.

Moreover, the order of popularity in pretty much all regions besides North America is Wii > PS3 > 360. The 360 coming up last is hardly unusual and while there is a rather significant gulf between the 360 and its competitors, I think it can be explained away more reasonably with the following factors:

The 360's biggest draw this generation is probably its online infrastructure, something that is a relatively insignificant factor to Japanese gamers. I think this might also explain Microsoft's weak start in Japan relative to the other regions. The 360 attracted many developers with a PC-centric heritage which is essentially a non-factor in Japan. In a way, the Xbox was starting farther behind here than elsewhere. Its library is also unsuited for the Japanese market as it's lineup and marketing is FPS dominated, a genre that the Japanese do not like. Early on, Microsoft attempted to cultivate a jRPG fanbase but the inroads they made were limited at best and this early advantage disappeared once Microsoft gave up as multiplatform games from Japan seem to work better on the PS3 (FFXIII for example). Japan's lukewarm response to these efforts can be partially attributed to the unforeseen shift to handheld gaming; it's not just the 360 that is doing poorly but the entire console market. Also I think that in retrospect, the major exclusive RPGs seem a bit weak. Perhaps Hironobu Sakaguchi no longer had the draw that Microsoft was banking on (his games sell worse on the DS). The Last Remnant was a technical mess and Infinite Undiscovery was pretty bad. Tales of Vesperia was probably the best of these games but the Tales series is middle tier in terms of size at best.

Finally, Microsoft has made significant strides this time around so the situation really isn't as bleak as you seem to think it to be.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Recent Comments

Popular

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites


©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.