Introduction

In the United States, the pattern of immigration of peoples into the country began to change: First the West Coast and later the entire country began a process of shifting its attention from Europe to the Far East. Japan is seen as a threat by many Americans because its rapid economic expansion has forced unwanted and painful adjustments in the United States. Some Japanese apparently feel that the United States is intent on preventing Japan from enjoying the fruits of its justly earned prosperity. Americans and Japanese alike have become remarkably effective at identifying, publicizing, and focusing international attention on problems in specific trade areas. Trends in US-Japanese trade, with the help of the upward revaluation of the yen, are moving in the right direction and accelerating. Japan has long maintained, for cultural and historical reasons, some marked inefficiencies in its distribution, construction, and agricultural sectors.