ABSTRACT
The years 1981-91 were notable for the high level of self-satisfaction which Nikkeiren displayed. Sakurada Takeshi’s foreword to Nikkeiren’s official 30 Years’ History, which was published in 1981, was typically selfcongratulatory. According to Sakurada, Japan had so far been able to avoid the ‘economically and socially diseased condition which it is easy for industrially advanced countries to fall into’. As specific instances, he cited the ‘British disease’ and the ‘Italian disease’ (Nikkeiren 1981: 2-3). By 1986, Nikkeiren’s annual Report of the Committee for Studying Labour Problems was exulting over ‘our country’s superb economic performance’ (Nikkeiren 1986: 42). Three years later, the same committee was reporting:
Fortunately, Japan has been expanding its economy, with the focus on stable internal demand even under conditions where the yen has been appreciating. Of course, as will be mentioned later, there are still various problems of a structural nature, but we are solving our problems by responding to them with flexibility and good sense, in addition to the diligence and effort of the Japanese.
