Bharat Jhunjhunwala - The Japan Times

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Bharat Jhunjhunwala

For Bharat Jhunjhunwala's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:

COMMENTARY / World

Jun 2, 2002

Chinese growth miracle may be a myth

NEW DELHI -- Has China really achieved double-digit growth rates in the past two decades? And is India really lagging behind? Close scrutiny reveals that India's growth rate may actually have been higher.

COMMENTARY / World

Aug 18, 2001

U.S. mortgaging wealth before recession

NEW DELHI -- It's becoming increasingly clear that the U.S. economy, despite a sharp slowdown, is holding the world against a global recession. Americans are borrowing globally and using the money to consume the goods of the world. Alas! This can continue only as long as U.S. assets exceed liabilities. Such good days have to end.

COMMENTARY / World

May 4, 2000

Global economy faces a structural crisis

The Nasdaq has fallen 34 percent since March, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average is following suit. The decline might be only a technical correction, but the world economy may be hit because the inflow of capital into the United States may decline and restrict that country's ability to import goods from across the world.

COMMENTARY / World

Jan 24, 2000

Free trade means lower living standards

NEW DELHI -- The debate in the aftermath of the WTO meeting in Seattle continues with the assumption that globalization fundamentally benefits the world's people. It is forgotten that globalization also implies that wages will become equalized on a global scale. If this occurs, an abundant supply of labor in the developing world means global wages would move closer to the level of those in poor countries. As a result, standards of living in the industrial countries would decline while those of the developing countries would increase only a little. Only through protectionism can industrialized countries provide higher wages to their workers. Since most industrial countries embrace democracy, they will find it increasingly difficult to persuade their voters to accept free trade (and accompanying lower wages). Either globalization will survive or democracy. The two are not compatible.

COMMENTARY / World

May 4, 1999

India rightly resists the Chinese model

India has often been advised to follow the path of China in public investment in human capital. China has done well in the last decade, but it would be a disaster if India were to follow her example. China's approach can be called "two quick steps forward, one slow step back." India's approach, in contrast, is "one slow step forward." The end result of both approaches turns out to be quite similar. But in the short run, China appears to be ahead with her two quick steps.

COMMENTARY / World

Mar 20, 1999

Learning on the job can be a good idea

The value of education has become a cliche. But few people seem to realize that school-based education can often prove a liability. Consider the views of Ram Mohan, a young farmer from the Indian state of Rajasthan, who refused to go to school. "My father wanted me to go," he said, "but I didn't. My elder brother has studied up to high-school level. He hasn't had a job for the last three years. He sits all day long brooding or filling out forms. No one even offers him a cup of tea. His wife has left him and gone back to her parents. But I am working in the field. When I come back, my mother quickly makes tea for me. I am respected. Why should I go to school? I know enough to be able to read the expiry date on the pesticides. I know how to read the election manifesto of the political parties. I know how to vote. I do not want education."

From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.

[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.

The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores

By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Prize winner Maki Imoto catches light with glass

Prize winner Maki Imoto catches light with glass

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