Kits OF Business

 

 

 

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“That Japanese consortium is on the phone. They want to
know if we'd like to buy some of it back.”

MAKING IT: The Japanese,
the western world realized
some years ago, were doing
North America in at its
own game. With massive
production of a multi-
tude of goods, they
reached in years an
affluence that other
nations took decades to
achieve.

Along with the hardware,

the pollution and expense
accounts, came a yearning
for the more exotic (and
very western) badges of
high-income stature. They
became prodigious buyers

of thoroughbred bloodstock
at Newmarket, wines and art
in France, jewelry and per-
fume in New York and clogged
the tourist streets of Milan
and Madrid. By the scores of
thousands they discovered
golf which led them to buy
courses in Hawaii and Cali-
fornia (and hotels to house
the Japanese tourist/players.
Naturally, they took to
Scotch.

The Scoteh Whiskey Assoc-
iation in the U.K. says
exports of Scotch in 1973
brought in the equivalent
of 260 million pounds in
foreign currency - up by
14% in volume and value
over the previous year.

It was easily the highest
ever recorded and all major
markets took in increased
shipments ( a total of
some 620 million bottles).

But the most astonishing
jump came from Japan: ship-
Ments to there were up 175%
in volume and 164% in value.
The U.S. is the world's big-
gest market for Scotch but

given the Japanese talent

1 that dis-
is now

for becoming No.
tinction doubtless
threatened.

We are in the 33rd year of inflation.

INFLATION

Despite a 19% rise in consumer
prices Prime Minister Tanaka
denied that Japan was suffering
from "inflation". -there sim
ply was no Japanese word for
the concept. Finance Minister
Fukuda, however, has revised
Japan's economic forecast by
using an inflation correction.
Growth will be 2.5% (nominally
13%)in the year ahead. So a
word, probably "infration} has
been added to the language.

A house, admittedly large,
and 2 acres of grounds on
SW Marine Drive is for sale
at $800,000. It will seem
a modest price to the ar-
rival from Hong Kong who

just sold one house for
$4 million.

MEN ARE OWLS TRYING TO SEE THE SUN

e.g.
The 'founder' of North
American inflation was
Admiral Yamomoto, who
began the era on Dec. 7,
1941 with the Japanese
assault on Pearl Harbour.
The U.S.A. entered World
War II. Korea and Viet
Nam and the commerce of
consumption, waste and
obsolescence created the
inflationary spiral.

Can ones