Is there going to be a simple solution to Japan's prolonged economic problems? Experts from U.S.-based think tanks taking part in a recent symposium in Tokyo discussed a variety of prescriptions for both the long- and short-term illnesses that the country faces.
According to Nariman Behravesh, chief economist with the information research firm DRI-WEFA, analysts who look at Japan from a distance tend to have a distorted view of the nation's problems and put forward what he described as "simplistic" solutions.
"An on-the-ground view of Japan would suggest that the multiple challenges that its economy faces will require multiple, coordinated solutions," Behravesh told the symposium, "Responses to Japan's Multiple Challenges," held Nov. 29 in Tokyo and sponsored by the Keizai Koho Center.