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Why Japan Gets the Cool Stuff

Posted by michael on from the scrutinizing-the-inscrutable dept.

haahr writes "Good article about why the coolest electronics products are available first in Japan and may never make it to the U.S., in Slate."

6 of 517 comments (clear)

  1. Consumer driven by CmdrTaco+(editor) · · Score: -1, Troll
    From what I can tell, I'd have to say that the reason why many of the emerging technologies either take a long time to come to the U.S. from Japan or don't end up coming over at all is the fact that Japan is a largely consumer driven economy. Of course, the U.S. is to some extent, but it seems to be far less commonplace to have the entire population craving a single thing. Remember the Furby and Tickle Me Elmo crazes? These had a limited age group attraction, so there is less of an incentive for corporations to develop products with such niche markets. In Japan, there is much more of groupthink, most people want the same products and are largely influenced by their peers.

    So, the motivation for these companies, is of course, completely based on economic reasons. A product that sells well or corporation that does well in Japan (like DoCoMo) will not necessarily to well in the United States and could possibly even lose money. The financial risk detracts from the potential benefits, thus negating the point of importing business to the United States.

    I believe that the cultural difference has as much to do with it as the economic one, but there really isn't much we can do about it. At this point it looks like our economy will always be based on things such as oil/tobacco rather than high tech infrastructure.

  2. Racist and demeaning by PhysicsGenius · · Score: -1, Troll
    Look, I'm as jealous as the next techno-geek that Japan has all the cool toys. But that doesn't excuse statements like this:

    Japan, as an isolated Asian island, is a culture of selfishness.

    Or, especially this:

    The Japanese keep an unlevel playing field because they rightfully fear the dominance the intellectually superior Caucasian world would have if they didn't.

    Isn't it enough that the main electronics companies live there without invoking hate speech like the above?

  3. Re:America the Chauvenistic by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    You want the Japanese to make mulatto fashion models? I don't think the market demand is there just yet.

  4. Re:To quote: by Buck2 · · Score: 0, Troll

    Score: 0 Informative.

    Haha, fag. Better get back to that pr0n!

    I'll tell YOU what! I've watched MANY an asian pr0n and I've seen MANY fucking LAME LOOKING MALE asians fucking MANY fucking HOT FEMALE ASIANS and the LAME MALE ASIANS ain't never had no dick past 5 inches!

    Fuckers. It always brings me down. How can I imagine myself fucking that ASIAN hottie with a little pixelated dick like that!? And I KNOW that even withOUT the pixels I'm bigger than that chump.

    goddamnlittledickedmutherfuckersfuckingthatallna tu ralgcupskinnyasianidols

    --

    As my father lik@(munch munch)... ....
  5. Re:America the Chauvenistic by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Let's flood their society with niggers. That will decrease the demand for cool little electronic toys and increase the demand gaudy flashy cars with loud stereos blaring (c)rap, gold teeth, malt liquor in 40oz bottles, fried chicken, and clothes that make your eyes hurt. Crime rates will go up and the average IQ will plummet. Imagine the whole country like Okinawa.

  6. Re:Take notice... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    So what you're saying is that hordes and hordes of colored people will unite and kill off white people because they're white and don't like colored people? As opposed to colored people that don't like white people because they don't like colored people? Btw, ever wonder why they're a larger growing population? Here's a hint, take a look at international population growth. Look at who still breeds like rabbits and whose growth has decreased. That's right rich people make less babies!