For me, one of the more interesting periods of Japan’s history is the Meiji Era, when the country transformed itself from a Medieval feudal society into a modern, industrialized nation in the space of just a few decades. There was one other example of Japan marshalling its resources on a scale so massive it boggles the mind: the decade after World War II, when the country was faced with rebuilding an infrastructure that had been totally destroyed by war. Japan’s recovery was such a success that it eventually became the world’s second largest economy, an amazing achievement indeed. This year, however, it looks as if China is finally preparing to overtake Japan, as growth in China’s consumer base combines with the sharp drop in Japan’s export-dependent economy last year.
It looks like China will finally pass Japan economic size this year.
