I'm 74 and lived through the good, the bad, and the ugly of all of this in the United States, and Japan. Your explanations are, by far, the best I have ever heard. Thank you for sharing this very important lesson.
@@suryabumantara4163the rise of Japan after WWII has been crazy, probably much faster than the Chinese one, considering they have less than 1/10th of the population. Until less than 20 years ago they were the second economy just behind the US
Wow thank you so much for the compliment, I worked really hard on the video so reading this really made my day. Thank you. Sounds like you’ve had a very rich life with a lot of interesting experiences 🙏
Exactly correct, lex. I kept waiting for him to talk about why the jpy was high for so long, and then right when Russia took on Ukraine, the jpy crashed. I still don't know if there is a connection or not, but it is suspicious in my estimation.
I lived in Japan in the 70's and early 80's, and then in Hawaii in the 80's and 90's. The Japanese were in a buying spree when I was living in Hawaii. “Between 1983 and 1986, the Japanese have purchased no less than 14 hotels, five golf courses, three office buildings and 13 large land parcels on Oahu and the Neighbor Islands. Barely a week goes by without a story of another major Japanese purchase,” such as the Hyatt Regency Waikīkī, Holiday Inn Waikīkī, Hyatt Regency Maui, Maui Marriott and the Hawaiian Regent. “They control nearly two-thirds of all the hotel units in Waikiki and almost one-fourth of all hotel units in the state.” ~ Honolulu Magazine article in May of 1987
Similar to the Chinese currently. The US also had "overcapacity" issue with Japan at that time, especially on semiconductor and automotive products (cars).
I've been living in Japan for a couple decades now. The stagflation these days is a drag, but if you know the local shops that are low-priced it is manageable. If you visit again, I highly recommend Nara and Osaka, and maybe Nagoya, where I live. Enjoy !
One aspect of the lost decade that I've heard about previously was the "lost generations". This is the group of kids graduating college around the time of the bubble burst. Up until that point it was common for kids to study intensely so they could land a career at a top company where they would traditionally work for their entire lives, moving up the ladder, and eventually collect a pension. After the bubble burst suddenly companies didn't want to hire as much leaving a whole generation of people outside the normal system they were taught their whole lives. Some where able to adapt while others weren't. I've heard a story about one lady who in struggling to find what to do with her life, started a construction company and appeared pretty successful to this day, albeit maybe not the success she was promised growing up. This lost generation is a sad thing and not talked about nearly as much as the bubble is.
They have more lost gen. The herbivore men of the late 2000s. The kids of last decade unable to get the income of their parents as a result they only eat $3 beef bowls and never go on vacations
That’s the reason why there were so many movies like Bladerunner that showed a world dominated by the Japanese, the aesthetics were Japanese etc, because they were really afraid of that happening.
yeah the US forced Japan to sign the plaza accords and effectively sabotaged their economy. bad to be an enemy of the US but to be an "ally" of the US is a death sentence
@@E_Clampus_VitusI think the guy is referring to the cyberpunk genre in general, Blade Runner being one of them. Big techno mega conglomerates dystopias were largely based on Japan before the bubble burst, or so I heard.
Japanese investors, who were one of the biggest buyers, have acquired substantial real estate holdings in Hawaii, totaling $1 billion in property. As a result, many Japanese individuals are currently selling their condos, with some experiencing losses. For instance, some investors purchased The Ritz Carlton in Waikiki and later sold it for less than their purchase price.
When watching videos like this, I personally take a long-term historical perspective. It is a fact that the United States is currently the center of the world economy. However, in the 15th century, Portugal held that position; in the 16th century, it was Spain; in the 17th century, the Netherlands; and in the 18th and 19th centuries, it was the United Kingdom. Of course, the economic and social structures of those times were different from today, so direct comparisons are difficult to make.
Andrei, I also visited Japan (Tokyo & Kyoto) this year 2024. I'm from Singapore, our current is also strong against Japanese Yen. One of my favorite places that I visited, love the food and the culture. My kids also enjoyed it.
I'm so glad you sad to be respectful if you visit Japan. Japan's culture is one of mutual consideration for one another. Some foreigners who visit are not respectful and considerate and are leaving quite bad impressions with residents.
Funny how little I knew of this at the time, Japanese culture was thriving in the 90s, so many great games and consoles, SNES, Playstation, great anime like Ghost in the Shell, why did those industries seem to do so well?
Hello from Japan. In the 90s so many great games and anime because we had no money, we did not go anyplace, always at home eating house mothers home food every single days in a year.we tried to find interesting things at home with your mind. Imaginations. These years children are day dreaming and when they grow up they became great creator and artist.
Im retired Marine Veteran a few months ago, I live here in Japan with my Japanese wife and kids. Im happy my US dollar is actually worth something here compared to the USA.
Its also worth alot in America, you just have to import stuff from japan. Edit: to build on that I wanted to buy a computer and it turned out to build a high end PC it was cheaper to fly to japan buy the parts and fly back to where I live
In 1985, the best performance motorcycle on the market was Suzukis GSXR-750, costing £3500. 3yrs later, Hondas RC-30 came out at £10000 plus. Wanting the best meant Japan, then they got priced out.
@@zionen01 it still is. Just look at the national debt and inflation. The only thing keeping it afloat is the threat of USA delivering freedom if you try to ditch the dollar. Also the Saudis will start accepting other currencies so only time will tell how much longer the dollar is king but its starting to fall. Remember Empires dont fall overnight.
Japan's dollar-denominated current account balance is likely to reach a record high in 2024. If the U.S. lowers interest rates, the yen could quickly appreciate.
@@AndreiJikh Hey, your video was hard to follow from a layman's standpoint, full of abstruse economist jargon, parlance. With that said good sir, when do you and eperts extrapolate the rise and strengthening of Japan's en again?
I'm a watch collector and have really appreciated the weak Yen to add to my collection. Japan is one of the largest watch markets in the world. They also keep their stuff in amazing condition. All that, plus the bargain Yen, and I've landed some great watch deals over the past few years. We were there in January, and will also be heading back in October. It is clean and safe, and everything runs on time, so it is an easy place to travel... kind of. Their way of doing things is not always intuitive, so navigating their processes can definitely take some getting used to.
One of the problems of this is that the collectibles are all leaving japan (it’s happened in the vintage video game industry ) and so in the future japan will be much less reliable for finding those collectibles in great condition again
@@TheTinKunt Very true. I am already seeing it in the watch market. Far less product available in the resale market. I also get the sense that some of the dealers there have raised their prices to more closely match the global market prices. A time for everything, and then it passes.
very clear explanation, but Japan is experiencing over-tourism in tourist hotspots. Overcrowded buses and trains, two pricing systems for tourists, a tourist ban in some places, and restaurants.
Very very sanitized version removing all American bullying. To the point, the author fails to acknowledge the fact that current yen's fall is directly linked to large interest rates in US, which the US is reluctant to change without lowering inflation. And Japan is still held at gunpoint to not sell USD to stabilize its own currency. The defense treaty was a blessing in the first half, but since the 80s its been a death sentence.
I think something worth discussing which explains Japan (and also China) economy is the velocity of money and how it applies to the economy. Exports was a big part of Japan success initially, Japan was exporting a huge number of goods, when they tried shifting to local market to stimulate the economy once their goods were more expensive abroad, it didn't work out so well because Asian economies are more conservative. It's a balance between saving and spending but too much saving without spending can badly hurt an economy unless it can export.
Thank you so much for a really great video - it was so interesting to see the historical background and what led up to the current situation in Japan. I spent quite some time in Japan in the early 90's when everything was very expensive. I really liked the friendly and hospitable people of Japan, even though they didn't speak English they always wanted to help out and make sure us gaijins didn't get lost.
Japan is a beautiful country that carries a Very High National Debt like most developed countries do but theirs is extremely high. Over 200% of GDP. It comes down to population growth. If a country is growing & has a good, young working class you can work through that. When you have an aging population & not a great growth outlook it gets more difficult to service the debt.
And of course... Starting in the 80's is when Japan started dominating America' businesses. And Japan did this...by over printing its money supply...to start spending on Japan's infrastructure. To improve its infrastructure...to increase efficiency. To reduce costs of doing business. And dictating that...with the ecsess printed money. Japan banks will spend that on Japanese companies...to support extremely rapid growth...increased technology...and to spend on taking over foreign companies. That compete with Japanese companies. That deficit spending....faulted Japan from a 2nd class company...to dominate the world of business!!
@@jefferyjeffery1707 It was uncontrolled land speculation that did them in, a long with the cheap money. No one knows what the bank of Japan was doing, but they created their own real estate bubble, that they barely just recovered from (took 34 years to do that).
You can negate the shrinking work force factor by increasing productivity per worker by automation, A.I. and robotics. When you look at Japan… they are digitalizing too slowly. The sooner they get on cloud database and create more automation app services the better off they will be.
I was just in Ginza in April and went again for a 2nd time last week. It’s worth flying over there, stay in a capsule hotel and binge out on quality tuna sashimi for a week then fly back home 🫶 Love Japan
The US is right before the mass bank failure and job lay offs which I've expected all year will happen after the election. We've been watching bank weakness and a few failures already. JMO. I hope people everywhere wake up to the swoon of loose banking policy. I feel it's a wealth redistribution set up as banks get bailed out once the corrections begin but non wealthy taxpayers are left to suffer.
@@chichilafemme6336 Not sure how to explain fiat currency in easy terms. I'm a girlie too. The problem is we package debt to other countries and the holders fear their investment is deteriorating and we will default. They won't get their expected interest or even principle back for taking our risk to make money. The only answer is to dump their investments on open markets which further deteriorates values or purchase US assets.
@@chichilafemme6336 wow. I did but TH-cam wouldn't post it. Countries purchased our debt. They took on our risk for a price of monthly interest income. This is acceptable risk until it looks like the country might default on its debt meaning not only will bagholder countries not just lose that Interest income but their principle investment. They have a choice of dumping these debt assets which would further undermine their value or buy US denominated assets. Both options further reduce our currency buying power from US citizens outside the investor (diversified) class point of view. Pssst. When Dick Cheney told the US the debt didn't matter circa sept eleven he lied.
I've been living in Japan for 19 years and this is the best explanation I've heard about Japanese economy .unfortunately don't think the Japanese public get a as good explanation about this .
Thank you! It's a great informative recent history of Japanese economy. I'm Japanese living in Tokyo, In this year as for my English worship service church is increasing so many visitors from global. And also many Chinese, Europeans, Russian, and Korean are coming Tokyo with looking for their Jobs. So far lower inflation and general security situation.
Really extensive and well researched work. One thing not included was that banks would not take real estate losses when the bubble burst because much of the Real Estate was owned by the mafia and the individual bankers would be taken for a trip to the top of a very tall building to discuss the imagined value of the Real Estate that did not resemble the actual value - and so the banks couldn't clean up their books. Worked for the Yakuza for two years in Tokyo.
I went to Japan for the first time this year (Tokyo and Kyoto), loved it so much that I went again recently (Osaka) and will go back at the end of the year!
Fantastic one. Beautiful voice too. I was born in Tokyo and grew up there till the bubble burst in the golden era. Now living in US working for Japanese conglomerate. Thank you for the great explanation here .
@@earlysda US has tons of natural resources though, and no enemies near by. China's economy has always been doing better than India's economy although there are problems like embargoes, and remote areas.
Yay to be living in Japan and earning yen! .... not. I really hope that with this weakening yen and economy we don't see increased poverty and crime though. It's a beautiful place to live especially for its safety but it just feels like I'm seeing an increase in incidents in the news recently.
I've been living in the US for 10 years and the only thing I miss about Japan is cheap good quality food. I was able to get yummy lunch for less than 500 yen, which is only $3.12 for Americans right now. Here in the US, I have to spend close to $15-$20 to get yummy food which is really expensive for Japanese person. That's why I never go out and eat. I always cook by myself and that's the best way to eat yummy food. I would say, probably hamburger and pizza are the only cheap under $10 food that's also tastes good. So when you come to Japan, please experience the cheap and great food in Japan at much discounted price.
I love Japan! Just got back on Saturday. My wife is Japanese so I've been a bunch of times. I have to say for the first time in my life I'm seriously considering moving there in the next year or so. The Japanese government is practically giving away homes there to get ppl to stay. And I completely agree on "feeling safe"... That's was my feeling the whole time. Not one lock on a bike. No reports daily of shootings. The amount of respect they show to each other is simply amazing! Glad you enjoyed! Maybe we can meet out there one day. 😂
@@magnaflowcatalyticco my research shows different. There are for sure some too rural and need too much work but there are also plenty only an hour from Tokyo and needing minimal work.
@@jamesgrubbIII Akiya's depreciate fast. Homes in Japan were made to last no more than 30 years. There is an episode on YT on Japanese ingenuity where they (Japanese builders) designed and built homes as joint block construction without any fasteners for easy disassembly and transportation to junk yards.
Yeah nah, bikes definitely need lock on them. Thats one thing i was always concerned about. There may be less bicycle theft compared to many other places, but definitely happens. Especially at the train station parkings.
I thought this video was gonna suck when I started watching, but holy cow!!!! It's SOOOO informative!!! Thank you for all this content, and the history lessons.
Well done Andrei, thanks for explaining, been here in Japan a long time, ups and downs etc., never had time to figure out what was happening with the economy and what really caused the bubble to burst. Of course a lot of issues now, but Japan alway pulls through and I'm staying for the ride.
LoL. Yeah, he went way overboard with that. Actually, the Plaza Accords made Japan wealthy on the world stage almost overnight, and like a teenager who just inherited all hid dad's money, they went out and blew it on status symbols.
This totally ignores the devastating effect that high returns on US treasuries have which sucks investment out of Japan and into the US. This is also the case in South Korea. The US has weaponised its currency against its own allies. It pays not to be aligned with the US.
I’m visiting Japan right now from the US. Had the trip planned for a while without even considering the currency exchange rate. Came pleasantly surprised how far our money goes here.
I feel bad for the Japanese people. The cost of imported materials, energy, and food must be outrageously expensive. Japan needs to bite the bullet, raise rates to a rational level, let the economy collapse and reset itself. The current situation where they are praying other countries like the USA are going to falter a bit is not a great way to handle your currency.
Its not the other way around, but Japan's current deflationary period is worse for the general public than the US 40 years ago. Deflation leads to less economic activity, increased debt, wage stagnation, etc. In contrast, the US 40 years ago, with its moderate inflation and economic growth, provided a more favorable environment for the general public, with rising wages and a healthier overall economy.
That was one of the worst dives into what really happened RE plaza accord etc. If you're going to dumb down the video for people maybe don't pretend to give the full picture. America did it all on purpose :)
Japan has some weird tastes, but in all I thought they were responsible with their money. They could be switching to Jasmy crypto if the yen falls. I have my pocket full of that one.
I feel the economy does not make sense anymore. Not just in US but also around the world. Basic supply and demand has been "played" around till it has become unworthy data.
The US economy will blow up when people realize AI isn't going to improve at the rate they expect. The largest companies in the world will take a significant hit as soon as that bubble bursts. People who are in the tech industry know AI is a time bomb but no one is listening. Right now our economy is about to drive off a AI investment cliff.
@@happysquirtle466 I’m glad someone else is aware of the breeding visa if I had a functional sperm count and wasn’t married giddyup lol. Totally joking just thought it was funny, but they really need to make more babies.
So, with japanese yen hitting its 38-year lows, does that mean japan can once again become powerhouse in manufacturing? Especially with many companies considering moving its factories away from china
@@lauriey6089 GenZ in japan is very different to GenZ in western or places influenced by the west. A much stronger work ethic, look at the employment rate etc. I don't know if they would consider Japan cheap enough considering Vietnam and co have even lower prices for labour.
Yes and no. Japan can never become the go-to for manufacturing cuz Japan is not an emerging country and therefore not cheap enough for manufacturing. That would go to southeast Asia, Latin America, etc. However, Japan could potentially become a cheap tech power with years of experience being ahead of all the Asian countries. However, even that is currently questionable because Japan is not known for software development compared to korea and china. And with India becoming the top for this area, it's hard to predict if Japan could ever make a comeback
@@marspark6351 man, that's sad to read. Japan was very big in the 80s and 90s. They've fallen so hard in the last 20 years. I hope they can make it back to the top.
@@SkyHermitthe translators literally don’t do their jobs. The studios are transitioning into making their own translations because of how inaccurate the western ones are. Not to mention the racism in the western dubs
Great explanation. I went to Japan (Ginza District-Tokyo) in March 2024. One of my best vacations. Will be returning in 2025. Ditto: very clean, inexpensive, and safe. Tip visit the Starbucks Reserve in Ginza District.
why didn't Japan's economy surpass the US? because the US didn't want them to. Now the US is trying to do them same to China... but it does not appear as easy due to many reasons.
Yep cause during the Japan rise the US is very unhappy about Japan dominance so they starting to smear and spread propaganda against and it's very powerful and the Public listen started the era the Japan bashing where Japanese companies were blamed for US problems and the Japanese government know this but felt they have no choice but to obey cause of fear that they will do something worse than those two nukes in WW2 so they restrict export and sign the plaza Accord where it's the end of Japan golden age were companies going out of business and encomy and people in Japan have lost hope now the US has fully control Japan through military,foreign policy ,encomy and culture and now try to do the same to China but unfortunately for the US China learned from Japan downfall and will not do US bidding no matter what.
Andrei, I love your videos. Super informative and always well put together. Since you have your eye on the more global scene, would you be interested in doing a video on how the Danish society is set up? Normally, in the US you mention e.g. 401K or ROTH IRA. The welfare state has been built up only since the 1960'ies and 1970'ies to what it is today. A lot of focus on Denmark is how it's a social state, but it could be interesting to highlight how it is actually financially put together with e.g. pension schemes, taxation, child subsidies, unemployment benefits, healthcare, housing and use of bonds to pay for mortgages etc. I can help guide on it, if you're interested and want to talk.
Thanks for the great video. I knew it was the bubble was bad but not that bad. The weak yen is crazy. I've been living in Tokyo for 16 years and no plans to go back to the States. It is always a great country to visit but now it is crazy cheap. I'm sure you'll have another great time in Oct. I'd love to meet up and talk about your chanel and hopefully show you some fun places in Japan.
Weak yen, or weak pound, weak dollars, weak yuan etc all have POSITIVE effects on its own country and are directly linked to the countries' industrial success. This is true to any industrialized countries. In its economic zenith in 1980s, Japanese yen was even weaker than today, it was ~200 yen/dollar. Germany for example has been gaining huge benefit from joining Euro, as it covers less developed economies such as Greece or Portugal as well, which pushes Euro down, making the currency too weak for Germany's industrial might. Enabling high-quality German products to be sold in surprisingly affordable prices. Back in 1980s Japanese products were overwhelming the whole world, while the US on the other hand was suffering from serious depression with dollars too strong. Hence Plaza Agreement in 1985, G5 countries decided to work together to push yen up higher and push dollars down, NOT the other way around. As a result, the Japanese companies had no choice but to move their factories out of Japan to Taiwan, Korea, China etc. And then you know what happened after that. Japanese politicians didn't and still don't have any sense of how exchange rate affects the economy. So, Japan is finally getting chance to recover its industry back to what it was thanks to the normalization of the price of yen.
@@goldensilver793 During COVID season Japan took some major losses economically. Last year and this year particularly they have had record numbers of tourists. Japan has been gradually shifting over to a tourism based economy.
@@John3.36 on The David Lin Report here on TH-cam, Prof. Hanke saying Buffet and others are borrowing lots of yen to protect against the dollar...I don't understand what this effect has but will study it more...
Hey Andre, thanks for continuing to make videos on TH-cam. A lot of folks seem to be taking a break with TH-cam but it’s nice to see you still making videos. Keep going 👍🏼 thank you
I think you missed the most important part. It's the US screw up Japan. We basically told Japan that you can't get infront of us otherwise we including EU will not buy from you.
When you said 1986 was almost 40 years ago, that hurt my feelings.
Mine too.
Teenager back then
Hahaha😅 same
20 years ago, oh wait a minute
you know what's even crazier... by 2036 it will be 50 years since 1986.
I'm 74 and lived through the good, the bad, and the ugly of all of this in the United States, and Japan. Your explanations are, by far, the best I have ever heard. Thank you for sharing this very important lesson.
@@fukguigelWhere is the ‘misinformation’ 😂 Gone are the days people can just make claims without evidence.
Boy history repeating itself only backwards, lol
Do you think the way japan rises in 60s-70s is the same as china's rise in 2000s-2010s?
@@suryabumantara4163the rise of Japan after WWII has been crazy, probably much faster than the Chinese one, considering they have less than 1/10th of the population. Until less than 20 years ago they were the second economy just behind the US
Wow thank you so much for the compliment, I worked really hard on the video so reading this really made my day. Thank you. Sounds like you’ve had a very rich life with a lot of interesting experiences 🙏
This video is more about the history of the yen. The collapse… not so much. It’s still a good watch, but not really what the title suggests
If you don't ask japanese people, it is ok.
Exactly correct, lex. I kept waiting for him to talk about why the jpy was high for so long, and then right when Russia took on Ukraine, the jpy crashed.
I still don't know if there is a connection or not, but it is suspicious in my estimation.
I agree that he didn't say why the yens are so low.
@@earlysda The only person who knows is Warren Buffett. He invested heavily two years ago in Tokyo.
Yeah, almost click bait like. It was interesting enough but the conclusion was a pretty big let down.
For the love of god if you go to Japan, please respect the country and their culture
Yes don’t be like Ubisoft and insist their interpretation of feudal Japan is more correct than the Japanese.
💯
Thank you for saying that, The Japanese really dont want or need " western Values" ( 25 years ive been here)
I lived in Japan in the 70's and early 80's, and then in Hawaii in the 80's and 90's. The Japanese were in a buying spree when I was living in Hawaii.
“Between 1983 and 1986, the Japanese have purchased no less than 14 hotels, five golf courses, three office buildings and 13 large land parcels on Oahu and the Neighbor Islands. Barely a week goes by without a story of another major Japanese purchase,” such as the Hyatt Regency Waikīkī, Holiday Inn Waikīkī, Hyatt Regency Maui, Maui Marriott and the Hawaiian Regent. “They control nearly two-thirds of all the hotel units in Waikiki and almost one-fourth of all hotel units in the state.” ~ Honolulu Magazine article in May of 1987
Similar to the Chinese currently. The US also had "overcapacity" issue with Japan at that time, especially on semiconductor and automotive products (cars).
Was there a a photographer masquerading as a dentist 🦷 by any chance? 🤔
Japan didn't have the secret ingredient, the ability to print money and export it to other countries easily.
Bigger bubble, dependant on a strong military... how's new enrollments going?
@@Rachel-h3nJapan is actually building up their military because of Taiwan and China.
@@erie0018 He was speaking about the US...
@@erie0018 You mean as the US hopes?. It will eventually dawn on Japan that its loss of sovereignty to the Empire of Lies is proving too costly.
@@erie0018 🤡
I've been living in Japan for a couple decades now. The stagflation these days is a drag, but if you know the local shops that are low-priced it is manageable. If you visit again, I highly recommend Nara and Osaka, and maybe Nagoya, where I live. Enjoy !
Agreed. I enjoyed the most in Nagoya than Tokyo area. Central Japan is better
One aspect of the lost decade that I've heard about previously was the "lost generations". This is the group of kids graduating college around the time of the bubble burst. Up until that point it was common for kids to study intensely so they could land a career at a top company where they would traditionally work for their entire lives, moving up the ladder, and eventually collect a pension. After the bubble burst suddenly companies didn't want to hire as much leaving a whole generation of people outside the normal system they were taught their whole lives. Some where able to adapt while others weren't. I've heard a story about one lady who in struggling to find what to do with her life, started a construction company and appeared pretty successful to this day, albeit maybe not the success she was promised growing up. This lost generation is a sad thing and not talked about nearly as much as the bubble is.
They have more lost gen. The herbivore men of the late 2000s. The kids of last decade unable to get the income of their parents as a result they only eat $3 beef bowls and never go on vacations
That’s the reason why there were so many movies like Bladerunner that showed a world dominated by the Japanese, the aesthetics were Japanese etc, because they were really afraid of that happening.
Interesting theory. Blade Runner was based on a Philip K Dick novel. Was the Japanese influence added to the movie and was different than the novel?
yeah the US forced Japan to sign the plaza accords and effectively sabotaged their economy. bad to be an enemy of the US but to be an "ally" of the US is a death sentence
@@E_Clampus_VitusI think the guy is referring to the cyberpunk genre in general, Blade Runner being one of them.
Big techno mega conglomerates dystopias were largely based on Japan before the bubble burst, or so I heard.
And in the third Star Trek movie, the USS Excelsior was given a Japanese-by-design vibe 😅
Robo cop
Japanese investors, who were one of the biggest buyers, have acquired substantial real estate holdings in Hawaii, totaling $1 billion in property. As a result, many Japanese individuals are currently selling their condos, with some experiencing losses. For instance, some investors purchased The Ritz Carlton in Waikiki and later sold it for less than their purchase price.
@Raymond_keller
When watching videos like this, I personally take a long-term historical perspective. It is a fact that the United States is currently the center of the world economy. However, in the 15th century, Portugal held that position; in the 16th century, it was Spain; in the 17th century, the Netherlands; and in the 18th and 19th centuries, it was the United Kingdom. Of course, the economic and social structures of those times were different from today, so direct comparisons are difficult to make.
Great video! I'm from Argentina and has been in Japan in 2018. It's really an incredible country. I hope I can visit in the near future.
ありがとうございます❤
Andrei, I also visited Japan (Tokyo & Kyoto) this year 2024. I'm from Singapore, our current is also strong against Japanese Yen. One of my favorite places that I visited, love the food and the culture. My kids also enjoyed it.
So cool to hear, I agree, it was just incredible
is this taking unfair advantage of japanese yen or could it be actually helping japan?
I'm so glad you sad to be respectful if you visit Japan. Japan's culture is one of mutual consideration for one another. Some foreigners who visit are not respectful and considerate and are leaving quite bad impressions with residents.
I can also agree👉👈
it's not about respect, it's about their forceful social norms.
Many Chinese and Korean don’t agree with this statement
yes , I live here and I feel really bad for the Japanese. They put a brave face on it though
Funny how little I knew of this at the time, Japanese culture was thriving in the 90s, so many great games and consoles, SNES, Playstation, great anime like Ghost in the Shell, why did those industries seem to do so well?
the 90s of japan was the last vestiges of a growing thriving japan. because we know what happens in 2000 and after
They were already in decline by 1991
If you thought Japan was thriving in 90s, imagine Japan in mid 80s.
Hello from Japan. In the 90s so many great games and anime because we had no money, we did not go anyplace, always at home eating house mothers home food every single days in a year.we tried to find interesting things at home with your mind. Imaginations. These years children are day dreaming and when they grow up they became great creator and artist.
Im retired Marine Veteran a few months ago, I live here in Japan with my Japanese wife and kids. Im happy my US dollar is actually worth something here compared to the USA.
Its also worth alot in America, you just have to import stuff from japan.
Edit: to build on that
I wanted to buy a computer and it turned out to build a high end PC it was cheaper to fly to japan buy the parts and fly back to where I live
@@user-mw4eq5mq4bdefinitely no need to renounce US citizenship if you are married to a Japanese spouse
Same 😊 and I am loving the benefits of having US dollars! 😊
Nice! Sounds like you're living the dream mate!
@@RusticRonniewow can you give the numbers at all? That sounds awesome!
Most of Japans money is going into building Gundams
I remember a Nikkor 15mm lens (35mm) went from $999 to $2000 almost overnight.
How much is it now?
In 1985, the best performance motorcycle on the market was Suzukis GSXR-750, costing £3500. 3yrs later, Hondas RC-30 came out at £10000 plus. Wanting the best meant Japan, then they got priced out.
@@Hboogie182 They don't make that specific lens anymore
@@pikachus5m166 all cuz the US forced the Yen to appreciate like crazy
@@pikachus5m166not that this has anything to do with anything- I have a 1979 Suzuki GS 400 L and it still runs amazing!
had no idea and went to japan for a couple weeks, was so surprised how powerful the US dollar had gotten.
It's interesting when only a few months ago, every youtuber was saying dollar was in trouble because of Saudis, BRICS, etc...
@@zionen01 its a tendency, not the situation right now
@@zionen01 it still is. Just look at the national debt and inflation. The only thing keeping it afloat is the threat of USA delivering freedom if you try to ditch the dollar. Also the Saudis will start accepting other currencies so only time will tell how much longer the dollar is king but its starting to fall. Remember Empires dont fall overnight.
@@zionen01 That's exactly why they increase value of US dollar. But at what cost?
Japan's dollar-denominated current account balance is likely to reach a record high in 2024. If the U.S. lowers interest rates, the yen could quickly appreciate.
I went there for my honeymoon for cherry blossoms season 😊
Judging by Andre's facial expression in the preview he's only medium concerned so everything should be fine.
😅 switching it up! Never let them know your next move
@@AndreiJikh Hey, your video was hard to follow from a layman's standpoint, full of abstruse economist jargon, parlance. With that said good sir, when do you and eperts extrapolate the rise and strengthening of Japan's en again?
I'm a watch collector and have really appreciated the weak Yen to add to my collection. Japan is one of the largest watch markets in the world. They also keep their stuff in amazing condition. All that, plus the bargain Yen, and I've landed some great watch deals over the past few years.
We were there in January, and will also be heading back in October. It is clean and safe, and everything runs on time, so it is an easy place to travel... kind of. Their way of doing things is not always intuitive, so navigating their processes can definitely take some getting used to.
One of the problems of this is that the collectibles are all leaving japan (it’s happened in the vintage video game industry ) and so in the future japan will be much less reliable for finding those collectibles in great condition again
@@TheTinKunt Very true. I am already seeing it in the watch market. Far less product available in the resale market. I also get the sense that some of the dealers there have raised their prices to more closely match the global market prices. A time for everything, and then it passes.
very clear explanation, but Japan is experiencing over-tourism in tourist hotspots. Overcrowded buses and trains, two pricing systems for tourists, a tourist ban in some places, and restaurants.
Very very sanitized version removing all American bullying. To the point, the author fails to acknowledge the fact that current yen's fall is directly linked to large interest rates in US, which the US is reluctant to change without lowering inflation. And Japan is still held at gunpoint to not sell USD to stabilize its own currency. The defense treaty was a blessing in the first half, but since the 80s its been a death sentence.
The worst problem of Japan is American influence.
So so true. 😢
How so? Be specific
😮 not the thousand year enemy big Asia land Guo ?
@@Kvasiirplaza accord….. did you listen?
@@airapapa1940 sounds like a skill issue tbh.
I think something worth discussing which explains Japan (and also China) economy is the velocity of money and how it applies to the economy. Exports was a big part of Japan success initially, Japan was exporting a huge number of goods, when they tried shifting to local market to stimulate the economy once their goods were more expensive abroad, it didn't work out so well because Asian economies are more conservative. It's a balance between saving and spending but too much saving without spending can badly hurt an economy unless it can export.
These are the type of videos I care to watch. Not some video of people partying drinking or whatever. Thank you.
Did you recently quit smoking, drinking and partying honey?
@@Allinonetvzread the user name. I think they are trying to be ironic
AndreiJikh is a fraud
Thank you so much for a really great video - it was so interesting to see the historical background and what led up to the current situation in Japan. I spent quite some time in Japan in the early 90's when everything was very expensive. I really liked the friendly and hospitable people of Japan, even though they didn't speak English they always wanted to help out and make sure us gaijins didn't get lost.
Japan is a beautiful country that carries a Very High National Debt like most developed countries do but theirs is extremely high. Over 200% of GDP. It comes down to population growth. If a country is growing & has a good, young working class you can work through that. When you have an aging population & not a great growth outlook it gets more difficult to service the debt.
And of course...
Starting in the 80's is when Japan started dominating America' businesses. And Japan did this...by over printing its money supply...to start spending on Japan's infrastructure. To improve its infrastructure...to increase efficiency. To reduce costs of doing business. And dictating that...with the ecsess printed money. Japan banks will spend that on Japanese companies...to support extremely rapid growth...increased technology...and to spend on taking over foreign companies. That compete with Japanese companies.
That deficit spending....faulted Japan from a 2nd class company...to dominate the world of business!!
Well said
@@jefferyjeffery1707 It was uncontrolled land speculation that did them in, a long with the cheap money. No one knows what the bank of Japan was doing, but they created their own real estate bubble, that they barely just recovered from (took 34 years to do that).
You can negate the shrinking work force factor by increasing productivity per worker by automation, A.I. and robotics. When you look at Japan… they are digitalizing too slowly. The sooner they get on cloud database and create more automation app services the better off they will be.
Well said, just described the fate of the United States
Thank you for always educating us
Indoctrinating us
I was just in Ginza in April and went again for a 2nd time last week. It’s worth flying over there, stay in a capsule hotel and binge out on quality tuna sashimi for a week then fly back home 🫶
Love Japan
Living it up!
I would love you to do a comparison of Japan then and the US today.
The US is right before the mass bank failure and job lay offs which I've expected all year will happen after the election. We've been watching bank weakness and a few failures already. JMO. I hope people everywhere wake up to the swoon of loose banking policy. I feel it's a wealth redistribution set up as banks get bailed out once the corrections begin but non wealthy taxpayers are left to suffer.
@@Kit-Ballou3664 explain this in girly pop terms (for dummies) lol I’m new to economics
@@chichilafemme6336 Not sure how to explain fiat currency in easy terms. I'm a girlie too. The problem is we package debt to other countries and the holders fear their investment is deteriorating and we will default. They won't get their expected interest or even principle back for taking our risk to make money. The only answer is to dump their investments on open markets which further deteriorates values or purchase US assets.
@@chichilafemme6336 wow. I did but TH-cam wouldn't post it. Countries purchased our debt. They took on our risk for a price of monthly interest income. This is acceptable risk until it looks like the country might default on its debt meaning not only will bagholder countries not just lose that Interest income but their principle investment. They have a choice of dumping these debt assets which would further undermine their value or buy US denominated assets. Both options further reduce our currency buying power from US citizens outside the investor (diversified) class point of view. Pssst. When Dick Cheney told the US the debt didn't matter circa sept eleven he lied.
I've been living in Japan for 19 years and this is the best explanation I've heard about Japanese economy .unfortunately don't think the Japanese public get a as good explanation about this .
NOT ANYMORE…..in the past week Japanese currency is going BACK UP!! It’s now $1 = 140 Yen
Thank u so much for simplifying everything. You made everything sound so clear n simple now! ☺️☺️
Starting to believe Andrei is from the future.
Thank you! It's a great informative recent history of Japanese economy. I'm Japanese living in Tokyo, In this year as for my English worship service church is increasing so many visitors from global. And also many Chinese, Europeans, Russian, and Korean are coming Tokyo with looking for their Jobs. So far lower inflation and general security situation.
Japan is nice in October; lived there.
In Japan, wages are low, life is poor, and tourism is becoming a cheap tourist destination.
I'm moving to Japan because Andrei said so.
And because he is American you can sue him if you dont like it there. The next youtube fintech scandal starts here!
Really extensive and well researched work. One thing not included was that banks would not take real estate losses when the bubble burst because much of the Real Estate was owned by the mafia and the individual bankers would be taken for a trip to the top of a very tall building to discuss the imagined value of the Real Estate that did not resemble the actual value - and so the banks couldn't clean up their books. Worked for the Yakuza for two years in Tokyo.
I went to Japan for the first time this year (Tokyo and Kyoto), loved it so much that I went again recently (Osaka) and will go back at the end of the year!
Again at 5:37 , The way you say is never boring at all and infact very informative . Can imagine how much research you have done .
Wow. I have so much respect for your explanations and analysis. Can you recommend a book or resource to study this out?
Fantastic one. Beautiful voice too. I was born in Tokyo and grew up there till the bubble burst in the golden era. Now living in US working for Japanese conglomerate. Thank you for the great explanation here .
how to avoid the lost decades of Japan? Don't sign the Plaza Accord.
Japan looking back in time, "We really shoulda never signed that accord."
Captain Barbossa "We have an accord..."
The Plaza Accord made Japan super rich almost overnight.
An occupied country like Japan has no choice.
@@jkjk42898 ｊｋｊｋ、You sound jealous that Japan became a rich country because it chose to follow America's values of freedom and individual worth.
@@earlysda US has tons of natural resources though, and no enemies near by. China's economy has always been doing better than India's economy although there are problems like embargoes, and remote areas.
Yay to be living in Japan and earning yen! .... not.
I really hope that with this weakening yen and economy we don't see increased poverty and crime though. It's a beautiful place to live especially for its safety but it just feels like I'm seeing an increase in incidents in the news recently.
Agreed.
I’m always telling my American friends that if they wanna visit Japan, now is the time to. Shopping couldn’t be better lol
Yes! I’m so excited to come back in October!
Loving the macro economic videos that you’ve been releasing recently! Keep it up, man very educational!
Thanks! Will do!
I live in Tokyo, Japan now! I love it here
America systematically reduced Japans economy to this state.
I've been living in the US for 10 years and the only thing I miss about Japan is cheap good quality food. I was able to get yummy lunch for less than 500 yen, which is only $3.12 for Americans right now. Here in the US, I have to spend close to $15-$20 to get yummy food which is really expensive for Japanese person. That's why I never go out and eat. I always cook by myself and that's the best way to eat yummy food. I would say, probably hamburger and pizza are the only cheap under $10 food that's also tastes good.
So when you come to Japan, please experience the cheap and great food in Japan at much discounted price.
I love Japan! Just got back on Saturday. My wife is Japanese so I've been a bunch of times. I have to say for the first time in my life I'm seriously considering moving there in the next year or so. The Japanese government is practically giving away homes there to get ppl to stay. And I completely agree on "feeling safe"... That's was my feeling the whole time. Not one lock on a bike. No reports daily of shootings. The amount of respect they show to each other is simply amazing! Glad you enjoyed! Maybe we can meet out there one day. 😂
おいでおいで
no one wants those homes. too rural and need repairs. Homes depreciate in Japan.
@@magnaflowcatalyticco my research shows different. There are for sure some too rural and need too much work but there are also plenty only an hour from Tokyo and needing minimal work.
@@jamesgrubbIII Akiya's depreciate fast. Homes in Japan were made to last no more than 30 years. There is an episode on YT on Japanese ingenuity where they (Japanese builders) designed and built homes as joint block construction without any fasteners for easy disassembly and transportation to junk yards.
Yeah nah, bikes definitely need lock on them. Thats one thing i was always concerned about. There may be less bicycle theft compared to many other places, but definitely happens. Especially at the train station parkings.
I thought this video was gonna suck when I started watching, but holy cow!!!! It's SOOOO informative!!! Thank you for all this content, and the history lessons.
Psh..my videos never suck! :P
And … here.. we.. go..
Well done Andrei, thanks for explaining, been here in Japan a long time, ups and downs etc., never had time to figure out what was happening with the economy and what really caused the bubble to burst. Of course a lot of issues now, but Japan alway pulls through and I'm staying for the ride.
Yen rallied today ......up$$$
sounds like the plaza accord is forced into their hand at gun point.
LoL. Yeah, he went way overboard with that. Actually, the Plaza Accords made Japan wealthy on the world stage almost overnight, and like a teenager who just inherited all hid dad's money, they went out and blew it on status symbols.
Japan is still occupied.
Love your videos Andrei watching from the Bahamas ❤
Awesome! Thank you!
American don't want a strong Japan. that's all
This totally ignores the devastating effect that high returns on US treasuries have which sucks investment out of Japan and into the US.
This is also the case in South Korea.
The US has weaponised its currency against its own allies.
It pays not to be aligned with the US.
I’m visiting Japan right now from the US. Had the trip planned for a while without even considering the currency exchange rate. Came pleasantly surprised how far our money goes here.
At 7:47 , the Plazza Accord ...LoL Andrei man, that was funny
There were many reasons! A lot of them Japan inflicted on itself but that video would be an hour long 😅
@@AndreiJikhJapan is long gone !
I feel bad for the Japanese people. The cost of imported materials, energy, and food must be outrageously expensive.
Japan needs to bite the bullet, raise rates to a rational level, let the economy collapse and reset itself. The current situation where they are praying other countries like the USA are going to falter a bit is not a great way to handle your currency.
Let’s hope we get another golden era of JDM cars 🤞
Its not the other way around, but Japan's current deflationary period is worse for the general public than the US 40 years ago. Deflation leads to less economic activity, increased debt, wage stagnation, etc. In contrast, the US 40 years ago, with its moderate inflation and economic growth, provided a more favorable environment for the general public, with rising wages and a healthier overall economy.
That was one of the worst dives into what really happened RE plaza accord etc. If you're going to dumb down the video for people maybe don't pretend to give the full picture. America did it all on purpose :)
Excellent breakdown and analysis 👌 subscribed!
Japan has some weird tastes, but in all I thought they were responsible with their money. They could be switching to Jasmy crypto if the yen falls. I have my pocket full of that one.
I feel the economy does not make sense anymore. Not just in US but also around the world. Basic supply and demand has been "played" around till it has become unworthy data.
you really predicted the future
Well done again, Very interesting.
The US economy will blow up when people realize AI isn't going to improve at the rate they expect. The largest companies in the world will take a significant hit as soon as that bubble bursts. People who are in the tech industry know AI is a time bomb but no one is listening. Right now our economy is about to drive off a AI investment cliff.
The US massive debt is the culprit
AI isn’t going anywhere
@@edgardovillacorte7012 and US is not planning to pay those debt HAHAHAHAH
@@UlferTheWolf the US will then disintegrate like the USSR .
the background music is awesome, what name is it？
No babies = no power
That’s also a big part of the problem
let's hope the breeding visas will solve that soon
@@happysquirtle466 I’m glad someone else is aware of the breeding visa if I had a functional sperm count and wasn’t married giddyup lol. Totally joking just thought it was funny, but they really need to make more babies.
very knowledgeable guy. tks
So, with japanese yen hitting its 38-year lows, does that mean japan can once again become powerhouse in manufacturing? Especially with many companies considering moving its factories away from china
no, the talent and hunger isn't there considering GenZ
@@lauriey6089 GenZ in japan is very different to GenZ in western or places influenced by the west. A much stronger work ethic, look at the employment rate etc. I don't know if they would consider Japan cheap enough considering Vietnam and co have even lower prices for labour.
Yes and no.
Japan can never become the go-to for manufacturing cuz Japan is not an emerging country and therefore not cheap enough for manufacturing. That would go to southeast Asia, Latin America, etc.
However, Japan could potentially become a cheap tech power with years of experience being ahead of all the Asian countries. However, even that is currently questionable because Japan is not known for software development compared to korea and china. And with India becoming the top for this area, it's hard to predict if Japan could ever make a comeback
@@lauriey6089 they could consider relaxing immigration so that there are more young people coming from other country to work right?
@@marspark6351 man, that's sad to read. Japan was very big in the 80s and 90s. They've fallen so hard in the last 20 years. I hope they can make it back to the top.
What's up is Japan is forced to be a DAWG to America, and when dawgs get to proud, the master would always smack them back down.
I hope this doesn't effect my anime. I've noticed slower dubs lately
😆
They don’t pay translators enough 😂
👁️👄👁️
@@SkyHermitthe translators literally don’t do their jobs.
The studios are transitioning into making their own translations because of how inaccurate the western ones are.
Not to mention the racism in the western dubs
Subs, dubs and other various translation problem are different cases, not because yen
145.48 🇯🇵 ❤ 📈
Yen will soon become king again 😂
It was a crazy time for Japan, it could be argued that the USA and the Japanese central bank caused the whole thing .
Yea! I had no idea how big the bubble actually was, but it's pretty crazy
Great explanation. I went to Japan (Ginza District-Tokyo) in March 2024. One of my best vacations. Will be returning in 2025. Ditto: very clean, inexpensive, and safe. Tip visit the Starbucks Reserve in Ginza District.
why didn't Japan's economy surpass the US? because the US didn't want them to. Now the US is trying to do them same to China... but it does not appear as easy due to many reasons.
Yep cause during the Japan rise the US is very unhappy about Japan dominance so they starting to smear and spread propaganda against and it's very powerful and the Public listen started the era the Japan bashing where Japanese companies were blamed for US problems and the Japanese government know this but felt they have no choice but to obey cause of fear that they will do something worse than those two nukes in WW2 so they restrict export and sign the plaza Accord where it's the end of Japan golden age were companies going out of business and encomy and people in Japan have lost hope now the US has fully control Japan through military,foreign policy ,encomy and culture and now try to do the same to China but unfortunately for the US China learned from Japan downfall and will not do US bidding no matter what.
I am an AP and A-level Economics teacher. I appreciate your work! Well done!
Foreigners living in Japan and earning in the Yen: we're so screw
Macroeconomic history with Jikh is my favorite !
Amazing video. Congratulations!
Andrei, I love your videos. Super informative and always well put together. Since you have your eye on the more global scene, would you be interested in doing a video on how the Danish society is set up? Normally, in the US you mention e.g. 401K or ROTH IRA. The welfare state has been built up only since the 1960'ies and 1970'ies to what it is today. A lot of focus on Denmark is how it's a social state, but it could be interesting to highlight how it is actually financially put together with e.g. pension schemes, taxation, child subsidies, unemployment benefits, healthcare, housing and use of bonds to pay for mortgages etc. I can help guide on it, if you're interested and want to talk.
the wreck it ralph meme was so good
😂 thanks, made it myself
Thanks for the great video. I knew it was the bubble was bad but not that bad. The weak yen is crazy. I've been living in Tokyo for 16 years and no plans to go back to the States. It is always a great country to visit but now it is crazy cheap. I'm sure you'll have another great time in Oct. I'd love to meet up and talk about your chanel and hopefully show you some fun places in Japan.
Thank you for the video Andrei
Weak yen, or weak pound, weak dollars, weak yuan etc all have POSITIVE effects on its own country and are directly linked to the countries' industrial success. This is true to any industrialized countries. In its economic zenith in 1980s, Japanese yen was even weaker than today, it was ~200 yen/dollar. Germany for example has been gaining huge benefit from joining Euro, as it covers less developed economies such as Greece or Portugal as well, which pushes Euro down, making the currency too weak for Germany's industrial might. Enabling high-quality German products to be sold in surprisingly affordable prices. Back in 1980s Japanese products were overwhelming the whole world, while the US on the other hand was suffering from serious depression with dollars too strong. Hence Plaza Agreement in 1985, G5 countries decided to work together to push yen up higher and push dollars down, NOT the other way around. As a result, the Japanese companies had no choice but to move their factories out of Japan to Taiwan, Korea, China etc. And then you know what happened after that. Japanese politicians didn't and still don't have any sense of how exchange rate affects the economy. So, Japan is finally getting chance to recover its industry back to what it was thanks to the normalization of the price of yen.
Japan will strengthen the yen after tourist season is over. They did it on purpose to increase tourism based income.
FBI, this guy's knows too much! Take care of him now before he finds a whistle!
That's an interesting take. Not hearing that from the economist, but it makes as much sense as many of the "pundits"...
@@goldensilver793 During COVID season Japan took some major losses economically. Last year and this year particularly they have had record numbers of tourists. Japan has been gradually shifting over to a tourism based economy.
@@John3.36 on The David Lin Report here on TH-cam, Prof. Hanke saying Buffet and others are borrowing lots of yen to protect against the dollar...I don't understand what this effect has but will study it more...
@@goldensilver793 Japan may very well be the largest dollar debt holder now that China has sold off a lot of its debt.
Hey Andre, thanks for continuing to make videos on TH-cam. A lot of folks seem to be taking a break with TH-cam but it’s nice to see you still making videos.
Keep going 👍🏼 thank you
See you in Japan 😃
Always love your videos and how they are so logical & informative. Thank you!
I think you missed the most important part. It's the US screw up Japan. We basically told Japan that you can't get infront of us otherwise we including EU will not buy from you.
Yes the US pushed it but Japans economy was not sustainable either way and would have burst at some point.
Wrong.
Japan is my favorite place too … for all the reasons you mentioned❤️🇯🇵