Most companies will face a crisis at one point, but it's not necessarily the crisis itself that will dictate that company's future, but rather how it is handled.

In Japan, as the post-bubble economy continues to boil, changes in the corporate, regulatory and economic environments are pushing companies to comply with global standards of disclosure to both consumers and shareholders alike.

As dramatically displayed in the recent incidents involving Snow Brand, Mitsubishi Motors and Bridgestone/Firestone, corporations can no longer get away with a simple bow and an apology. The market is demanding more, and the winners in the renewed Japanese economy will be the companies that comply with global reporting standards and don't sweep bad news under the rug.