From Boom to Bust, and Back? The Media and the Japanese Economy

Video and transcript from the event "From Boom to Bust, and Back? The Media and the Japanese Economy" on March 9, 2015 with panelists: Susan Chira, Deputy Executive Editor; former Tokyo correspondent and foreign editor, New York Times; Jacob Schlesinger, Senior Asia Economics Correspondent and Central Banks Editor, Asia, Wall Street Journal and recipient of the 2014 Shorenstein Journalism Award; Takeo Hoshi, director of Stanford’s Japan Program, Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC), Stanford University; moderated by Daniel Sneider, associate director for research, Shorenstein APARC.

In the eyes of the media, Japan has swung from boom to bust, with little in between. Back in the late 1980s, Japan was depicted as an economic superpower, striding the globe. After the Japanese speculative bubble burst in the early 90s, Japan was largely confined to the status of an economic has-been, mired in stagnation. Today, Japan is seen as cautiously on the rebound, but skepticism remains. How well has the media really captured the reality of Japan and its economy?

In association with the annual Shorenstein Journalism Award for coverage of Asia, two veteran journalists, both of whom covered Japan in the 1980s and remain close observers today, offer their thoughts on Japan and its economic future. And one of the leading economic experts on Japan offers his reflections on how the media covers Japan and where Japan is headed.