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 
4
cause

4
because the government has not converted itself into a modern, democratic, developed nation mode of operation.
5002
span

5
 Until 1980, 
5005
Same-Unit

6
when Japan joined the $10,000 per capita GNP club of the advanced countries, 
7
circumstance

7
it was a model developing nation.
5004
span

8
 The government built ports, bridges, highways, schools, hospitals and railways.
5013
List

9
 When industries were weak, 
10
circumstance

10
it protected them.
5006
span

11
 It gave the Japanese people a value system, 
5012
span

12
based on the rationalization
5011
span

13
 that
5010
Same-Unit

14
 given the country's lack of natural resources,
5007
circumstance

15
 they must work hard 
5007
span

16
to create value through exports 
5008
List

17
and buy food with the surplus. 
5008
List

18
Individual prosperity inevitably would result.
5014
span

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.
5021
Contrast

23
 The LDP won by a landslide in the last election, in July 1986.
5019
temporal-before

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:
27
elaboration-general-specific

27
 Japan does not have a modern government.
5022
span

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. 
5026
Contrast

29
In a modern system, the government's role is to give the people as much choice as possible 
5023
List

30
and to keep them well informed 
5023
List

31
so they are capable of making a choice.
5023
purpose

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

33
 The Japanese government doesn't allow this. 
5039
span

34
The Ministry of Agriculture and Fishery actually is a ministry for farmers and fishermen instead of a ministry of provisions.
5038
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,
5037
Cause-Result

38
 and certainly does not act on behalf of students.
5037
Cause-Result

39
 The Ministry of Construction spreads concrete throughout the country 
5031
List

40
and boasts in international conferences 
41
attribution

41
that Japan's paved roadway per capita is the longest in the world,
5032
span

42
 but they seldom think of the poor commuters 
5033
span

43
who spend so much time 
5034
span

44
sitting in traffic.
43
circumstance-e

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,
5043
span

48
 supporting Japanese diplomats 
5040
span

49
who sprinkle abundant aid money around the world 
5041
span

50
to ensure 
51
attribution

51
that their seat at the dinner table is next to the host's. 
5042
span

52
This ministry has done nothing 
5044
span

53
to correct the misunderstandings and misperceptions
5045
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 
5046
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; 
5050
span

58
they do not serve the people, and particularly not consumers. 
5054
Contrast

59
They serve the industries and the special-interest groups.
5054
Contrast

60
 The rest of the world accepted such methods 
5051
span

61
when Japan was developing.
60
circumstance

62
 Japanese put up with it 
63
reason

63
because the government provided job stability and growing paychecks.
5052
span

64
 Japan is not a political country. 
65
comparison

65
It is a bureaucratic country.
5058
span

66
 The Diet plays a minor role 
5059
span

67
compared with the powerful bureaucratic system.
66
comparison

68
 Most bills are drafted by bureaucrats, not politicians.
5066
List

69
 The Diet doesn't normally even debate bills 
5062
span

70
because the opposition parties are so often opposed to whatever LDP does 
5061
span

71
that it would be a waste of time.
70
consequence-s

72
 So most bills are passed 
5063
span

73
without full discussion; 
72
manner

74
particularly difficult bills are passed in the absence of the opposition parties.
5068
List

75
 A recent example is the 3% consumption tax on all commercial activities.
5087
span

76
 This makes enormous sense in Japan,
5070
span

77
 where direct tax accounts for more than 70% of revenues 
5069
List

78
and the capture rate of direct tax is so unfair.
5069
List

79
 If you are a salaried man, 
5071
condition

80
Amen!
81
evaluation-s

81
 100% captured.
5071
span

82
 If you are a retailer, 
83
condition

83
50%, and a farmer, 30%.
5073
span

84
 To correct this inequality, 
85
purpose

85
most people would have favored an indirect tax, like the consumption tax.
5076
span

86
 But the bill was passed 
5077
span

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

88
 As a result, the Japanese people didn't know what to expect 
5078
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 
5080
span

91
given as change.
90
elaboration-additional-e

92
 All of a sudden, prices were no longer in denominations of 100 or 200.
5081
Comparison

93
 They were 103 or 206.
5082
List

94
 Pockets exploded with one-yen coins.
5082
List

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

96
the LDP politicians were caught in scandals. 
5089
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.
5092
concession

98
 Whereas most men were a bit ambivalent about the sex scandals 
5090
span

99
(though they were furious about Recruit), 
98
concession-e

100
women were upset about both 
101
consequence-n

101
and surged to the polls.
5093
span

102
 In the recent Upper House and Tokyo metropolitan congressional elections, 
5095
span

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

104
60% of all women voted,
5097
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, 
5098
concession

107
but they obviously were voting 
5098
span

108
to punish the LDP. 
107
purpose

109
 Taken by surprise,
110
circumstance

110
 the Socialist Party is busy changing its doctrines.
5107
span

111
 It's now OK to deal with the U.S., but not the Soviet Union.
5104
List

112
 Nuclear power plants are acceptable.
5104
List

113
 The U.S.-Japan Security Treaty can continue, sort of.
5104
List

114
 And so on.
5104
elaboration-additional

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

116
the LDP has been paralyzed. 
5110
span

117
Now is the time 
5111
span

118
to reform the government from a provider, developing-country vanguard role to that of a modern, industrialized nation 
5112
span

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

120
 If the LDP, 
5113
span

121
as currently composed, 
120
elaboration-additional-e

122
can't make the transformation, 
5114
Same-Unit

123
then it should split into two parties.
5115
span

124
 One party could stand for consumer interests, small government, free trade and globalism 
5116
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, 
5117
span

127
representing the manufacturers' preference for larger government, control, regulation and protectionism.
126
manner

128
 The LDP must make a decision immediately; 
5135
span

129
Lower House elections must take place before June. 
5130
span

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, 
5122
span

131
cleansing it of past sins.
130
consequence-s

132
 We must not forget, however,
133
attribution

133
 that such a humble political experiment could cause a global tidal wave of shocks in real-estate and financial markets.
5123
span

134
 At the most there is only nine months 
135
circumstance

135
before the LDP fuse burns out.
5124
span

136
 Mr. Ohmae is managing director of McKinsey & Co. in Japan.
5139
TextualOrganization
Footnote
5001
span
5002
background

5002
span
5003
span

5003
span
5133
span

5004
span
5005
Same-Unit

5005
multinuc
5015
span

5006
span
5013
List

5007
span
5009
span

5008
multinuc
15
purpose

5009
span
5010
Same-Unit

5010
multinuc
12
elaboration-object-attribute-e

5011
span
11
elaboration-additional-e

5012
span
5013
List

5013
multinuc
18
consequence-n

5014
span
5005
elaboration-general-specific

5015
span
5018
span

5016
multinuc
19
evidence

5017
span
5015
evaluation-s

5018
span
5021
background

5019
multinuc
5020
span

5020
span
5021
Contrast

5021
multinuc
5028
span

5022
span
5027
span

5023
multinuc
5024
span

5024
span
5025
List

5025
multinuc
5049
Contrast

5026
multinuc
5022
explanation-argumentative

5027
span
5131
span

5028
span
5027
background

5029
span
5038
List

5030
span



5031
multinuc
5035
Contrast

5032
span
5031
List

5033
span
5035
Contrast

5034
span
42
elaboration-object-attribute-e

5035
multinuc
5038
List

5036
span
5038
List

5037
multinuc
5038
List

5038
multinuc
5056
summary-n

5039
span
5049
Contrast

5040
span
47
manner

5041
span
48
elaboration-object-attribute-e

5042
span
49
purpose

5043
span
5048
List

5044
span
5047
Contrast

5045
span
52
purpose

5046
span
5047
Contrast

5047
multinuc
5048
List

5048
multinuc
5038
List

5049
multinuc
5026
Contrast

5050
span
5056
span

5051
span
5055
Comparison

5052
span
5055
Comparison

5053
span



5054
multinuc
57
restatement

5055
multinuc
5050
elaboration-additional

5056
span
5057
span

5057
span
33
evidence

5058
span
5109
span

5059
span
5067
span

5060
span



5061
span
69
reason

5062
span
5066
List

5063
span
5068
List

5064
span



5065
multinuc
5059
evidence

5066
multinuc
5065
Cause-Result

5067
span
5058
explanation-argumentative

5068
multinuc
5088
span

5069
multinuc
5075
span

5070
span
5076
background

5071
span
5072
span

5072
span
5074
Comparison

5073
span
5074
Comparison

5074
multinuc
5069
example

5075
span
76
elaboration-object-attribute-e

5076
span
5086
span

5077
span
5078
reason

5078
span
5079
span

5079
span
5084
span

5080
span
5083
span

5081
multinuc
5080
elaboration-general-specific

5082
multinuc
5081
Comparison

5083
span
5103
Temporal-Same-Time

5084
span
5085
span

5085
span
75
elaboration-additional

5086
span
5084
concession

5087
span
5068
example

5088
span
5065
Cause-Result

5089
span
5094
circumstance

5090
span
5092
Contrast

5091
span



5092
multinuc
5094
span

5093
span
5101
span

5094
span
5102
span

5095
span
5096
Same-Unit

5096
multinuc
5100
span

5097
span
5096
Same-Unit

5098
span
5099
span

5099
span
5096
evaluation-s

5100
span
5108
span

5101
span
5092
Contrast

5102
span
5103
Temporal-Same-Time

5103
multinuc
5079
consequence-s

5104
multinuc
5105
span

5105
span
5107
manner

5106
span
5100
consequence-s

5107
span
5106
span

5108
span
5093
consequence-s

5109
span
5132
List

5110
span
5111
circumstance

5111
span
5128
span

5112
span
117
elaboration-object-attribute-e

5113
span
5114
Same-Unit

5114
multinuc
123
condition

5115
span
5119
span

5116
span
5118
Contrast

5117
span
5118
Contrast

5118
multinuc
5115
elaboration-general-specific

5119
span
5128
elaboration-additional

5120
span
128
circumstance

5121
span



5122
span
5125
Comparison

5123
span
5125
Comparison

5124
span
5129
evaluation-s

5125
multinuc
129
consequence-s

5126
span



5127
span
5138
Problem-Solution

5128
span
5120
span

5129
span
5127
span

5130
span
5135
reason

5131
span
5132
List

5132
multinuc
5003
explanation-argumentative

5133
span
5138
Problem-Solution

5134
span



5135
span
5129
span

5136
span



5137
span



5138
multinuc
5139
TextualOrganization
Text
5139
multinuc



