[Chapter 936: The Middle-Income Trap Isn't the Only One]
"Athena, you can't walk like that wearing a kimono."
"Mommy, maybe I should change. It's just too uncomfortable."
"Mommy, I don't want to wear it either."
"Athena, Hebe, you two are grown girls now. Dad will be back soon, so stop causing trouble."
The two little girls pouted, clearly unimpressed. They weren't afraid of their dad at all. In fact, he was the kind of dad who could grant them any wish.
"Wow, so pretty! This kimono is really nice. Looks like they put some effort into it."
Suzuki rolled her eyes. A kimono costing over ten thousand dollars, what could be wrong with it? Kimonos for children were different before and after marriage, so even if there were pricier ones, not many would buy them for kids.
"Let's go see the cherry blossoms."
Seeing the three excitement-filled people ahead, Suzuki didn't say more. Since their dad didn't fuss, she thought it was fine.
The company office was noisy and gave William White a headache, so he stepped out to clear his mind. The weather was a bit chilly this year. Otherwise, by early April, the leaves would already be out.
William White actually preferred fallen leaves. Although somewhat of an intellectual type, he just didn't appreciate cherry blossoms in full bloom.
"Tanner, did you know this used to be the Tokugawa family's family temple?"
"That big?"
"Big? That's nothing. You know Mount Fuji belongs to someone else, right?"
"Ahem, that's pretty bold. Was it confiscated?"
"Impossible. They must have negotiated something. Actually, it doesn't really matter who owns the mountain. You can't claim image rights everywhere, and this is still an active volcano. They might not earn money from it, but if an eruption happens, their family can't cover the damages."
Though Tanner knew his master was probably just joking, he didn't mind. In his view, his master should just buy the mountain and forbid others from using its image.
It was clear William was overthinking. Not only would the public resist, but also the six major conglomerates wouldn't agree. William White was wealthy, but they weren't paupers.
William White and his group drew attention wherever they went. Foreigners would understand easily, and the three women between them were clearly mother and daughters. Many would think it was some high-society family outing to see the blossoms.
But their behavior didn't quite match that. The two little girls were far too lively.
Japanese people had a good habit -- they rarely gawked at others. Even if you were just taking pictures or hung a rope in the tree, no one paid much attention.
After the bubble economy burst, many Japanese who lost their jobs hung themselves from cherry blossom trees.
No job, no home, reporting daily at Ueno Park. If they couldn't find work in a month, as payday neared, the only way out seemed to be death.
"Hey, Fujita, didn't you say this restaurant is hard to book?"
"Sir, that's true. Kuroki is among Tokyo's toughest Japanese restaurants to get a reservation at."
"Haha, then let's try it today and see if it's worth it."
Fujita must have used some connections. Even in a recession, it was hard to find a place to rent exclusive use. Japanese places were the toughest to book, and renting the whole place was unheard of.
William White didn't care. As the boss, his subordinates naturally pleased him, and he didn't mind any tricks.
Glancing through the menu, William was a little surprised. By his standards, it might cost around a thousand dollars.
What? Not as expensive as a full-course imperial banquet!
Well, that couldn't compare. In 1996, even the imperial banquet was somewhat affordable. Plus, it was more about extravagance than taste; street food could be tastier.
"Athena, you and your mom and sister go home first. Dad still has some things to handle."
"Daddy, take us to Disneyland tomorrow."
"Okay, but only for half the day. After that, if you want to stay and play, you can."
"Yay! Daddy, come back early, okay?"
"Sure."
His eldest daughter was stubborn but never disrespected her dad in front of others. Her mom had worked hard to raise her right.
Fujita basically knew that every time the boss came to Tokyo, he visited Akihabara. There was no specific reason. Sometimes, he didn't even worry about his products.
Of course, William White wouldn't. Don't think Japanese people don't scramble to cram at the last minute. They were quite skilled at this.
"Fujita, Akihabara isn't busy right now. The data they release suggest it shouldn't be like this."
"Sir, manufacturing is just okay. But lately, there have been some conflicts with the US, and if it continues, there could be trouble.
Other industries, like high-end restaurants, clubs, and entertainment spots, aren't doing well either.
There's a popular combo deal here -- a bowl of noodles or bento, some small bar snacks, and two beers -- for 1500 yen."
"That's cheap. Is it even profitable?"
"No choice. In rural areas, even 1000 yen combos exist, but beer quality is lower."
"Wow, I remember beer at supermarkets cost a few hundred yen. This isn't sustainable."
"If there are enough customers, it can hold. If prices stayed the old way, there'd be no customers at all.
Funny thing, the hostesses in Roppongi almost fought over customers."
William White noticed the entertainment industry was doing okay, especially billiard halls, which were packed.
"Fujita, I've been looking at this stuff for a while. Doesn't seem interesting."
Fujita scratched his head, helpless. It was a kind of Japanese problem -- calling billiards, it was basically gambling. A simple, childish game, but last year's revenue exceeded thirty trillion yen, accounting for 6.74% of GDP.
"That's not all. If you include adult films and entertainment spots, that's 10% of GDP."
Fujita smiled bitterly. His own dad frequented some of these places sometimes. Most ridiculously, many of these shops were run by relatives of Kim Jong-il. For Japanese people, that was basically aiding the enemy.
William White didn't know what to say about this bizarre Japanese reality. Supposedly, Japan had already crossed the so-called middle-income trap. Even if times were tough, Japan was unquestionably a high-income country.
William knew deeply that the more people addicted to gambling, the bigger social problems grew. It was a vicious cycle.
This wasn't lottery; winning a jackpot would solve immediate problems. But winning at billiards meant making at most ten or twenty thousand yen a day, an impressive expert result.
As for those that stared blankly, who could just scrape through ten or fifteen days... it looked like they had to find some place to hang themselves. Ueno Park was fitting. When the cherry blossoms withered, I'd wither too. That feeling was poetic enough.
William knew that when the Asian financial crisis hit, many would suffer. Those who missed the bubble economy last time would get to taste it now.
"Things aren't good, Fujita. Keep an eye on recent comics and games. Comics should be healing genres. Games should focus more on sports and everyday life."
"Okay, boss. I'll start organizing that first thing tomorrow."
"Alright, let's head back to the hotel."
"Sir, want to hit a club for a drink?"
"Maybe tomorrow. I'm a little tired today."
"Alright, I'll send you back to the hotel now."
*****
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