Concluding Remarks

Japan’s economic involvement is by far the largest in total and most diverse in Russia, but on a per head or per area basis appears to be much the largest in Hungary. As reported by Morita (see Zloch-Christy, 1995), at the end of 1991 the stock value of Japan’s direct investment in East European countries amounted to: Hungary US$221 mn, Romania US$9 mn, Poland US$5 mn, Bulgaria US$1 million. Thus of this total, Hungary had received over 90 per cent (93.6 per cent). In 1990 Hungary had received US$29 mn and in 1991 US$181 mn. This increase came principally from Magyar Suzuki (car production of the Japanese Suzuki Motor Corporation with a Hungarian partner) (Zloch-Christy, 1995, p. 184). This very high proportion devoted to Hungary hardly holds good any more but Hungary remains easily in the lead in Eastern Europe. Germany (the former GDR), Romania and Poland probably figure among the next three Central or East European states. Among the non-Russian successor states of the former USSR, Kazakstan rates highest, with promising possibilities for Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. In many of the formerly 28 (now 27) countries, both Asian and European, Japan’s involvement is negligible or nil. Some notes follow about larger regions and then other remarks, including especially a discussion of the reasons why certain countries or regions are preferred, and which institutions are most active.