For two decades, the Japanese economy has been dead as a doornail – in spite of hefty Japanese consumer savings. Why?

Field Reporter: Are they slow-moving, chief?
Sheriff McClelland: Yeah, they’re dead. They’re all messed up.
– Night of the Living Dead (1968)

In B-grade horror movie lore, Tokyo has to fend off attacks from rampaging monsters like Mothra and Godzilla. If the cinema were more true-to-life, however, Japan would be less worried about overgrown fire-breathing lizards… and more terrified of zombies instead.

In response to a recent Taipan Daily asking what brought us out of the Great Depression, a number of you responded with a good question. “What about Japan?” Or rather, “What about Japan’s extraordinary rate of consumer savings – and why hasn’t it helped?”

After putting in a massive blowoff top to cap a truly insane 1980s bull market, Japanese stocks proceeded to head lower… for the next twenty years. The Nikkei is …

For two decades, the Japanese economy has been dead as a doornail – in spite of hefty Japanese consumer savings. Why?

Field Reporter: Are they slow-moving, chief? Sheriff McClelland: Yeah, they’re dead. They’re all messed up. – Night of the Living Dead (1968)

In B-grade horror movie lore, Tokyo has to fend off attacks from rampaging monsters like Mothra and Godzilla. If the cinema were more true-to-life, however, Japan would be less worried about overgrown fire-breathing lizards… and more terrified of zombies instead.

In response to a recent Taipan Daily asking what brought us out of the Great Depression, a number of you responded with a good question. “What about Japan?” Or rather, “What about Japan’s extraordinary rate of consumer savings – and why hasn’t it helped?”

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In all the excitement this week I skimped on some fundamental/economic stories to focus more on the market and transactions. So we have some catching up to do.I said long ago as the economy weakens the last things to go would be teenagers and their Abercrombie (ANF) $100 jeans, and video games/gadgets. Well it appears all we have left now are the video games/gadgets. You know Americans are "pooring" when they won't even splurge on their kids. (Note to Bloomberg reporters - $50 jeans? In what Abercrombie store did you not visit to file your report?) (Note to Wall Street pundits - what will it take for you to admit we are in recession?)The financial pressures of adults are finally catching up with American teenagers. Since summer jobs dried up, gasoline prices topped ...