In its latest report, released Feb. 12, the Kansai Economic Federation presented mixed news about the local economy. Looking at monthly sentiment in eight different areas ranging from industrial production to housing purchases to sentiment toward China, the report showed that, on the whole, 2015 was good for trade and employment (at least for firms using low-wage, part-time, nonunion employment) and not so good for public works, partially because pet projects Kansai wants Tokyo to help fund (an Osaka extension of the Hokuriku shinkansen, redevelopment of Osaka Bay) remain undecided.

And China? Despite the huge influx of Chinese tourists to the Kansai region, which is propping up the local service economy, most of those surveyed were neutral to pessimistic last year, although that may be due to the fact Kansai Economic Federation leaders tend to represent manufacturing companies that don't directly benefit from the Chinese tourism boom.

Yet the report merely confirmed the generally cautious status-quo thinking at the annual Kansai Economic Seminar, which preceded the report by a week. Anyone hoping to find bold young entrepreneur types whose vision, creativity and outside-the-box thinking was driving the region forward was likely disappointed. Instead it was the usual collection of (mostly) old men, chauffeured to the conference in their black or dark blue Nissan Century sedans, the kind that used to be associated with Liberal Democratic Party leaders (and certain other kinds of organizational leaders). "The same as it ever was," as David Byrne once sang.