From the 'yellow Peril' to 'Cool Japan': Country's Image and Global Competitiveness of the Japanese Manufacturing Industry since the Meiji Period

This chapter analyses the evolution of the dialectic relation between Japan's image and the competitiveness of Japanese manufacturing from the late nineteenth century. The fast change in Japanese industry during the last 150 years is well known. This contribution emphasizes the succession of various periods during which Japanese goods had a very different image on world markets \textendash particularly in Western countries: a positive image of traditional crafts during the last third of the nineteenth century (Japonisme); a negative image during the industrialization and catch-up phase ("cheap and nasty"); and a new era of positive image since the collapse of the bubble economy ("cool Japan"). The discussion shows that images of Japan were constructed by the West, in the context of globalization of consumption and competition. This chapter also focuses on the role of political authorities and trade associations in Japan to change, promote, and use the image of their country on foreign markets, even though there did not exist a law governing Made in Japan. Finally, this chapter demonstrates that the positive image of Japan was not linked to a place, but to a culture and an identity. Rather than making goods in a specific country or place, the design and concepts of products, linked to Japanese culture, were the basis of their competitive advantage. © 2023 selection and editorial matter, Nikolas Glover and David M. Higgins; individual chapters, the contributors.