1
 Japan has climbed up from the ashes of World War II and a gross national product of about $800 per capita
2
consequence-n

2
 to reach the heavyweight class among industrialized nations.
5001
span

3
 Now this remarkable economic growth seems to be coming to an end 
5002
span

4
because the government has not converted itself into a modern, democratic, developed nation mode of operation.
3
explanation-argumentative

5
 Until 1980,
5004
span

6
 when Japan joined the $10,000 per capita GNP club of the advanced countries,
5
temporal-same-time-e

7
 it was a model developing nation.
5131
Same-Unit

8
 The government built ports, bridges, highways, schools, hospitals and railways.
5014
List

9
 When industries were weak,
10
circumstance

10
 it protected them.
5006
span

11
 It gave the Japanese people a value system,
5013
span

12
 based on the rationalization
5012
span

13
 that
5010
Same-Unit

14
 given the country's lack of natural resources,
5008
circumstance-e

15
 they must work hard 
5007
span

16
to create value through exports
15
purpose

17
 and buy food with the surplus.
5008
List

18
 Individual prosperity inevitably would result.
5010
consequence-s

19
 That system has worked.
5017
span

20
 The standard of living has increased steadily over the past 40 years;
5016
List

21
 more than 90% of the people consider themselves middle class.
5016
List

22
 The people have given their leading and only credible political party, the Liberal Democratic Party, clear and uninterrupted power for those 40 years.
5020
span

23
 The LDP won by a landslide in the last election, in July 1986.
22
evidence

24
 But less than two years later, the LDP started to crumble,
5019
List

25
 and dissent rose to unprecedented heights.
5019
List

26
 The symptoms all point to one thing:
5023
span

27
 Japan does not have a modern government.
26
elaboration-general-specific

28
 Its government still wants to sit in the driver's seat, set the speed, step on the gas, apply the brakes and steer, with 120 million people in the back seat.
5125
example

29
 In a modern system, the government's role is to give the people as much choice as possible 
5025
List

30
and to keep them well informed
5024
span

31
 so they are capable of making a choice.
30
enablement

32
 It also allows people to buy the best and the cheapest goods from anywhere in the world.
5025
elaboration-additional

33
 The Japanese government doesn't allow this.
5028
span

34
 The Ministry of Agriculture and Fishery actually is a ministry for farmers and fishermen instead of a ministry of provisions.
5046
List

35
 The Ministry of Health and Welfare is a ministry of doctors and pharmaceutical companies rather than an organization 
5029
span

36
dedicated to protecting the health of the people.
35
elaboration-object-attribute-e

37
 The Ministry of Education is nothing but a cartel for licensed teachers,
5030
List

38
 and certainly does not act on behalf of students.
5030
List

39
 The Ministry of Construction spreads concrete throughout the country 
5034
List

40
and boasts in international conferences
41
attribution

41
 that Japan's paved roadway per capita is the longest in the world,
5033
span

42
 but they seldom think of the poor commuters
5032
span

43
 who spend so much time
5031
span

44
 sitting in traffic.
43
circumstance

45
 The Ministry of Transportation serves the industry, certainly not the passengers 
5036
span

46
who must pay extraordinarily high prices.
45
elaboration-object-attribute-e

47
 And the Ministry of Foreign Affairs works for itself,
5040
span

48
 supporting Japanese diplomats 
5038
span

49
who sprinkle abundant aid money around the world 
5039
span

50
to ensure 
51
attribution

51
that their seat at the dinner table is next to the host's.
5037
span

52
 This ministry has done nothing 
5042
span

53
to correct the misunderstandings and misperceptions
5041
span

54
 that are at the root of Japan's deteriorating image.
53
elaboration-object-attribute-e

55
 Instead, it seems to be using foreign pressure and even the trade conflict
5043
span

56
 to expand its sphere of influence vis a vis other ministries.
55
purpose

57
 All this illustrates that Japanese ministries still have a provider mentality;
5048
span

58
 they do not serve the people, and particularly not consumers.
57
elaboration-additional

59
 They serve the industries and the special-interest groups.
5048
elaboration-additional

60
 The rest of the world accepted such methods
5049
span

61
 when Japan was developing.
60
circumstance

62
 Japanese put up with it
5051
span

63
 because the government provided job stability and growing paychecks.
62
reason

64
 Japan is not a political country.
65
antithesis

65
 It is a bureaucratic country.
5055
span

66
 The Diet plays a minor role 
5056
span

67
compared with the powerful bureaucratic system.
66
elaboration-object-attribute-e

68
 Most bills are drafted by bureaucrats, not politicians.
5063
List

69
 The Diet doesn't normally even debate bills 
5059
span

70
because the opposition parties are so often opposed to whatever LDP does
71
consequence-n

71
 that it would be a waste of time.
5058
span

72
 So most bills are passed 
5060
span

73
without full discussion;
72
circumstance

74
 particularly difficult bills are passed in the absence of the opposition parties.
5060
elaboration-additional

75
 A recent example is the 3% consumption tax on all commercial activities.
5066
span

76
 This makes enormous sense in Japan,
5065
span

77
 where direct tax accounts for more than 70% of revenues 
5064
List

78
and the capture rate of direct tax is so unfair.
5064
List

79
 If you are a salaried man,
5129
span

80
 Amen!
79
comment

81
 100% captured.
5130
span

82
 If you are a retailer, 50%,
5069
Comparison

83
 and a farmer, 30%.
5069
Comparison

84
 To correct this inequality,
85
purpose

85
 most people would have favored an indirect tax, like the consumption tax.
5070
span

86
 But the bill was passed 
5072
span

87
without debate in the Diet, in the absence of the opposition.
86
circumstance

88
 As a result, the Japanese people didn't know what to expect
5073
span

89
 when the new law was introduced on April 1.
88
circumstance

90
 They were frustrated by the longer queues at the cashier and the small coins 
5074
span

91
given as change.
90
elaboration-object-attribute-e

92
 All of a sudden, prices were no longer in denominations of 100 or 200.
93
comparison

93
 They were 103 or 206.
5075
span

94
 Pockets exploded with one-yen coins.
5076
span

95
 While people were jingling their change,
96
temporal-same-time

96
 the LDP politicians were caught in scandals.
5086
span

97
 Money, such as in Recruit's political donations, and women, as in the cases of Prime Minister Sosuke Uno and Secretary General Tokuo Yamashita, seldom have caused political scandals in Japan.
5096
background

98
 Whereas most men were a bit ambivalent about the sex scandals 
5088
span

99
(though they were furious about Recruit),
98
antithesis

100
 women were upset about both 
101
consequence-n

101
and surged to the polls.
5087
span

102
 In the recent Upper House and Tokyo metropolitan congressional elections,
5090
span

103
 in which the Socialist Party won a runaway victory,
102
elaboration-additional-e

104
 60% of all women voted,
5091
span

105
 as opposed to the usual 40%.
104
comparison

106
 It is difficult to analyze how much of their anger was due to Recruit, the sex scandals, or the one-yen coins in their purses,
5093
antithesis

107
 but they obviously were voting 
5093
span

108
to punish the LDP.
107
purpose

109
 Taken by surprise,
110
circumstance

110
 the Socialist Party is busy changing its doctrines.
5101
span

111
 It's now OK to deal with the U.S., but not the Soviet Union.
5102
List

112
 Nuclear power plants are acceptable.
5102
List

113
 The U.S.-Japan Security Treaty can continue, sort of.
5102
List

114
 And so on.
5102
List

115
 Against the rapid cosmetic overhaul of the Socialist Party 
116
circumstance

116
the LDP has been paralyzed.
5104
span

117
 Now is the time
5107
span

118
 to reform the government from a provider, developing-country vanguard role to that of a modern, industrialized nation 
5106
span

119
in which consumers have the ultimate choice.
118
elaboration-object-attribute-e

120
 If the LDP,
5109
span

121
 as currently composed,
120
circumstance-e

122
 can't make the transformation,
5110
Same-Unit

123
 then it should split into two parties.
5111
span

124
 One party could stand for consumer interests, small government, free trade and globalism
5112
span

125
 to put Japan clearly among the most developed and open countries.
124
consequence-s

126
 The other party could continue on the traditional track of the LDP,
5113
span

127
 representing the manufacturers' preference for larger government, control, regulation and protectionism.
126
elaboration-object-attribute-e

128
 The LDP must make a decision immediately;
5117
List

129
 Lower House elections must take place before June.
5117
List

130
 In the current mood of the Japanese people, journalists and even some industrialists, giving power to the Socialists might be good for the LDP,
5119
span

131
 cleansing it of past sins. 
130
elaboration-object-attribute-e

132
We must not forget, however,
133
attribution-n

133
 that such a humble political experiment could cause a global tidal wave of shocks in real-estate and financial markets.
5121
span

134
 At the most there is only nine months before the LDP fuse burns out.
5122
elaboration-additional

135
 Mr. Ohmae is managing director of McKinsey & Co. in Japan.
5128
TextualOrganization
Footnote
5001
span
5002
antithesis

5002
span
5003
span

5003
span
5127
span

5004
span
5131
Same-Unit

5005
span



5006
span
5014
List

5007
span
5008
List

5008
multinuc
5009
span

5009
span
5010
Same-Unit

5010
multinuc
5011
span

5011
span
12
elaboration-object-attribute-e

5012
span
11
elaboration-object-attribute-e

5013
span
5014
List

5014
multinuc
5131
evidence

5015
span
5018
span

5016
multinuc
19
evidence

5017
span
5015
consequence-s

5018
span
5022
span

5019
multinuc
5021
span

5020
span
5019
antithesis

5021
span
5018
elaboration-additional

5022
span
5023
background

5023
span
5125
span

5024
span
5025
List

5025
multinuc
5027
span

5026
span
5085
span

5027
span
33
concession

5028
span
5047
span

5029
span
5046
List

5030
multinuc
5046
List

5031
span
42
elaboration-object-attribute-e

5032
span
5035
span

5033
span
5034
List

5034
multinuc
5032
antithesis

5035
span
5046
List

5036
span
5046
List

5037
span
49
purpose

5038
span
47
manner

5039
span
48
elaboration-object-attribute-e

5040
span
5045
span

5041
span
52
elaboration-object-attribute-e

5042
span
5044
span

5043
span
5042
elaboration-additional

5044
span
5040
elaboration-additional

5045
span
5046
List

5046
multinuc
5028
evidence

5047
span
5054
span

5048
span
5050
span

5049
span
5052
span

5050
span
5053
span

5051
span
5049
elaboration-additional

5052
span
5050
elaboration-additional

5053
span
5047
elaboration-additional

5054
span
5084
span

5055
span
5057
span

5056
span
5055
elaboration-additional

5057
span
5083
span

5058
span
69
reason

5059
span
5061
result

5060
span
5061
span

5061
span
5062
span

5062
span
5063
List

5063
multinuc
5082
span

5064
multinuc
76
elaboration-object-attribute-e

5065
span
75
evaluation-s

5066
span
5081
span

5067
span



5068
span



5069
multinuc
5070
background

5070
span
5071
span

5071
span
5079
concession

5072
span
5078
consequence-n

5073
span
5078
span

5074
span
5077
span

5075
span
94
result

5076
span
5074
elaboration-additional

5077
span
5073
elaboration-additional

5078
span
5079
span

5079
span
5080
span

5080
span
5066
elaboration-additional

5081
span
5063
example

5082
span
5057
evidence

5083
span
5054
explanation-argumentative

5084
span
5026
elaboration-additional

5085
span
5100
span

5086
span
5097
circumstance

5087
span
5089
span

5088
span
5087
antithesis

5089
span
5096
span

5090
span
5092
Same-Unit

5091
span
5092
Same-Unit

5092
multinuc
5094
evaluation-n

5093
span
5094
span

5094
span
5095
span

5095
span
5089
elaboration-additional

5096
span
5097
span

5097
span
5098
span

5098
span
5085
elaboration-additional

5099
span



5100
span
5126
Problem-Solution

5101
span
5103
span

5102
multinuc
5101
example

5103
span
5104
consequence-n

5104
span
5105
span

5105
span
5107
evaluation-n

5106
span
117
elaboration-object-attribute-e

5107
span
5108
span

5108
span
5116
span

5109
span
5110
Same-Unit

5110
multinuc
123
condition

5111
span
5115
span

5112
span
5114
List

5113
span
5114
List

5114
multinuc
5111
elaboration-set-member

5115
span
5108
means

5116
span
5118
span

5117
multinuc
5116
elaboration-additional

5118
span
5120
span

5119
span
5118
elaboration-additional

5120
span
5122
span

5121
span
5120
hypothetical

5122
span
5123
span

5123
span
5126
Problem-Solution

5124
span



5125
span
5026
span

5126
multinuc
5003
summary-n

5127
span
5128
TextualOrganization
Text
5128
multinuc



5129
span
81
condition

5130
span
5069
Comparison

5131
multinuc
5015
span

