> Is it just me, or does 7-8 billion yen (getting on towards $60
> million) sound a tad expesive for such a thing? Sure, it's not a
> hack I could pull off in a week-end or anything like that, and
> dealing with billing systems is never cheap, but what on earth can
> make it cost so much?
Irasshaimase! Welcome to Japan. Read in the newspaper about the bubble and scratch your head... how
the hell does a bubble cripple an economy for 10+ years? Simple. It's not a bubble. It's
corruption. In the rest of the civilized world we call it a depression. Sorry mate, but Japan will
never be a stable economy in the way that the US is and the way that the EU is likely to become
until they decide to stop the centuries old habit of mutually agreeing to ignore annoying realities.
Living in Japan can be incredibly frustrating for foreigners particularly if you have any
inclination to affect a change. I have all but given up on such noble thoughts and now force myself
to be contented with building a small business and trying to influence those few around me who will
actually listen. The Japanese banking fiasco makes the whole Enron scandle look like a bad night at
the craps table. It is system wide and entrenched such that even a Prime Minister has a snowball's
chance in hell of ever fixing it. While this isn't directly related after 8 years of business in
Japan I have come to the conclusion that it's all just different parts of the same giant turdburger.
(Not to sound too negative :)
I love Japan but it's a painful relationship. I have a recurring dream that a bunch of Japanese
stick their heads out the window and shout "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not gonna take it anymore!".
:)
Douglas MacDougall
Received on Fri Jan 25 12:40:26 2002