Going back and forth frequently between Japan and other Asian countries, particularly Southeast Asia and India, gives you a glimpse into the big opportunities out there. If I had spent my time either entirely in Asia or in Japan, I might have only been aware of the challenges for each and little hope for the future. But living alternately in Japan and the rest of Asia shows you only the opportunities.
In the first place, many of the challenges for Japan and other Asian nations are mutually complementary. They need each other to resolve those challenges, many of which can also be resolved simultaneously. And in that process, there is a good chance that assets that may not bring any value if they remain disconnected will be transformed into highly valuable assets if Japan and the Asian countries join hands. The following are some examples.
The first is Asia's young labor force. Asian countries with populations of more than 100 million, such as India, Indonesia and the Philippines, are rich in young manpower. Their demographic pyramid is the opposite of Japan's, meaning their challenges are complementary. People in Japan may feel envious of other nations' large youth populations, but these populous Asian nations face the serious challenge of creating enough jobs for their young people.
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