None, most of items can be produced by China or Vietnam. Japanese work culture, long hour, unpaid hour and difficult to get parental leave already left Japan with business process that being strongly attached to that culture, so when Japanese company want to push their company abroad, Japan having difficulty in getting people who want to do things in way of "Japanese way".
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Japan always brag about high quality of their products, these days machine can exactly do that. People even willing to pay lower price for lower quality. So the Japanese era already over.
@Mr Kipling statement is about right, about what left from Japan these days.
Cars, but slipping due to Japan's aversion to EVs and Chinese competition. Industrial robots and machine tools. Highly specialized components, as in those for satellites. However, these are made by small independent suppliers who are aging. Other countries don't make them so much because the business isn't very profitable.
Their top place in the cars industry is long gone. Kia and Hyundai surpassed them some years ago, as well as other European models. This can be attributed to Japan being culturally averse to changes.
I would say medical research. If my child wants to pursue the medical/ science field, I would recommend a Japanese university. If they want to pursue something else, I will tell them to go abroad.
Its not really the top of any significant industries anymore, though in some areas it still has companies that are while not dominant can at least compete globally (autos, video game consoles, niche areas like some types of construction equipment, etc).
Japan is the global leader in Carbon Fiber. Due to the advancement and high quality, it is used by the US military for aerospace, defense and advanced weapons systems. The biggest makers are Toray, Mitsubishi Chemical and Teijin. Civilian applications range from fishing line to Boeing passenger airplane components.
Most people only see what they can see and touch, iphones, cars, but that's just the tip of the supply-chain "iceberg". Japanese companies have major market shares below the tip.
SUMCO and Shin-etsu for example, without their silicon wafers, you won't have your nVidia to train the newest model for generative AI porn.
Sony, without their CMOS image sensors, you won't have a phone that can take pictures and feed that as data for your generative AI porn.
The biggest of all, INPEX Corp, developed the tech for every step in the supply-chain of LNG. Extraction ? Japanese tech. Storage ? Japanese tech. Transport ? Japanese tech. Without it ... well, you get the gist.
Japan is still a global leader in the shipbuilding of advanced ships. Back in the 1970s/80s some 70% of the worldscommercial ships were built by names like Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ishkawajima-Harima HI, Hitachi SB. But over time they lost market share first to South Korea (after KHI helped Hyundai get into shipbuilding) and later to China with it's massive number of State assisted shipyards. However, while China absolutely dominates the shipbuilding industry in numbers, they are mostly the simpler type of ships, crude and bulk carriers. Japan continues to buld highly advanced ships like LPG/LNG carriers, and wind propelled and assisted vessels.
Many people seem to be unaware that faxes are actually used more frequently in Europe and America than in Japan.
Even in the automotive industry, Toyota continues to maintain the world's highest sales volume. When it comes to EVs, it's actually Japanese manufacturers that hold many of the patents.
Even with semiconductors, there are many parts that couldn't be made without Japanese manufacturing equipment and materials.
Many people seem to want to believe that Japan is already a country in decline, but unfortunately there are still many industries in which Japanese companies make up a high proportion of the industry.
Chinese and Korean companies can only copy and don't create anything original.
After all, nothing they have created has made a significant contribution to modern humanity.
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Mr Kipling
Anime and "school uniform" porn is about it these days.
sakurasuki
None, most of items can be produced by China or Vietnam. Japanese work culture, long hour, unpaid hour and difficult to get parental leave already left Japan with business process that being strongly attached to that culture, so when Japanese company want to push their company abroad, Japan having difficulty in getting people who want to do things in way of "Japanese way".
.
Japan always brag about high quality of their products, these days machine can exactly do that. People even willing to pay lower price for lower quality. So the Japanese era already over.
@Mr Kipling statement is about right, about what left from Japan these days.
JeffLee
Cars, but slipping due to Japan's aversion to EVs and Chinese competition. Industrial robots and machine tools. Highly specialized components, as in those for satellites. However, these are made by small independent suppliers who are aging. Other countries don't make them so much because the business isn't very profitable.
Garthgoyle
Digital interchangeable-lens cameras and lenses.
Their top place in the cars industry is long gone. Kia and Hyundai surpassed them some years ago, as well as other European models. This can be attributed to Japan being culturally averse to changes.
SDCA
I would say medical research. If my child wants to pursue the medical/ science field, I would recommend a Japanese university. If they want to pursue something else, I will tell them to go abroad.
rainyday
Its not really the top of any significant industries anymore, though in some areas it still has companies that are while not dominant can at least compete globally (autos, video game consoles, niche areas like some types of construction equipment, etc).
mikeylikesit
Cameras and lenses, including consumer brands and medical imaging. Consumer cameras, however, are a dying industry due to smartphones.
Anime, although the next generation will see more and more foreign talent and AI involvement, which will weaken Japanese studios.
Automobiles, although Japan is slipping (or China is rapidly catching up) in this field.
Hospitality, although with more and more foreign workers taking over restaurant and hotel staffing roles, this will inevitably change.
Tokyo Guy
Cameras and lenses, including consumer brands and medical imaging. Consumer cameras, however, are a dying industry due to smartphones.
And, ironically, photographers who want the absolute ultimate in image quality go to Hasselblad and Phase One, neither of which are Japanese.
OssanAmerica
Japan is the global leader in Carbon Fiber. Due to the advancement and high quality, it is used by the US military for aerospace, defense and advanced weapons systems. The biggest makers are Toray, Mitsubishi Chemical and Teijin. Civilian applications range from fishing line to Boeing passenger airplane components.
Mickelicious
Definitely materials and the sogoshousha as an industry. Their breadth of operations is truly outstanding.
robert maes
Cars( Toyota stll best selling manufacturor), road building machinery( Hitachi, Komatsu..) fiber, sake, rice.
WoodyLee
Anime and Sushi.
WoodyLee
And Onsen.
ushosh123
Marketing perhaps?
kibousha
Most people only see what they can see and touch, iphones, cars, but that's just the tip of the supply-chain "iceberg". Japanese companies have major market shares below the tip.
SUMCO and Shin-etsu for example, without their silicon wafers, you won't have your nVidia to train the newest model for generative AI porn.
Sony, without their CMOS image sensors, you won't have a phone that can take pictures and feed that as data for your generative AI porn.
The biggest of all, INPEX Corp, developed the tech for every step in the supply-chain of LNG. Extraction ? Japanese tech. Storage ? Japanese tech. Transport ? Japanese tech. Without it ... well, you get the gist.
David Brent
Semiconductor production equipment; companies like TEL and Screen.
OssanAmerica
Japan is still a global leader in the shipbuilding of advanced ships. Back in the 1970s/80s some 70% of the worldscommercial ships were built by names like Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ishkawajima-Harima HI, Hitachi SB. But over time they lost market share first to South Korea (after KHI helped Hyundai get into shipbuilding) and later to China with it's massive number of State assisted shipyards. However, while China absolutely dominates the shipbuilding industry in numbers, they are mostly the simpler type of ships, crude and bulk carriers. Japan continues to buld highly advanced ships like LPG/LNG carriers, and wind propelled and assisted vessels.
Hideyoshi.N
Manga and anime.
grund
Small market but bicycle components. For a challenge, try finding a bicycle gear that is not made by Shimano.
PeaceWarrior
Fax machines?
purple_depressed_bacon
I second this. And ink pads for all their hankos.
Agent_Neo
Many people seem to be unaware that faxes are actually used more frequently in Europe and America than in Japan.
Even in the automotive industry, Toyota continues to maintain the world's highest sales volume. When it comes to EVs, it's actually Japanese manufacturers that hold many of the patents.
Even with semiconductors, there are many parts that couldn't be made without Japanese manufacturing equipment and materials.
Many people seem to want to believe that Japan is already a country in decline, but unfortunately there are still many industries in which Japanese companies make up a high proportion of the industry.
Chinese and Korean companies can only copy and don't create anything original.
After all, nothing they have created has made a significant contribution to modern humanity.
David Brent
Yeah, China has only given us paper, gunpowder, the compass, cast iron....want me to go on?
Politik Kills
English language schools.
(think Sisyphus)