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Originally Posted by FatDog
Back in the 70' or 80' a guy wrote an interesting article about how the Japanese market had much higher prices for identical items that were exported, and had cutting edge devices (like handy-cams with burnable CD-ROMS) that never seemed to be sold outside Japan.
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Which is a major reason for the fact that there are NO American TV manufacturers any longer. There were 8 of them when I was a child, but all were undercut by the Japanese market. Casio watches, made in Japan, sell for half the price in the US compared with Japan. And it's not just the automobile industry that is ripping up US manufacturing... It's going on in every field.
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He investigated and found that the Japanese electronic companies often sold new devices only in Japan for a year or so as a 'test market'. If it does not sell well in Akihabara - it does not ship overseas. If it does well in the first year, any defects or problems are fixed and manufacturing ramps up for export.
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And vice versa... I can't find printers that will print directly onto CD/DVD's here in Japan, but they are all over the world these days. Or laser burners to burn labels onto CD/DVD's too.
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His other finding - the Japanese government organizes product development to a huge degree. You basically have to obtain a license to develop a new product. If Sony and Pioneer already have licenses to develop Plasma televisions - you cannot.
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I'm not so sure that it's actually a 'license to develop' so much as having the government Ministry actually help finance development, and state particular directions for study that it will back, providing the manufacturer can meet certain standards.
Most Japanese companies are so incredibly diversified that they can afford to hold back in one area while working in another. For example, the Panasonic Company... When you think of them you think of TV's, Stereos, etc. But the fact is, they are just as big in production of Modular Homes, Bicycles, and Commercial LED lighting! And Panasonic is just 'one small division' of the giant Matsushita Denki Corporation, which also builds some of the world's largest ocean-going ships in conjuction with Sumitomo.
Stitchawl