Most economic pundits still support the idea of free competition in the market as the key principle of the society. As Japanese society becomes increasingly Americanized, however, a number of "fakes" have appeared in the market.
Among the fakes exposed by the media in the past half year are structural designer Hidetsugu Aneha, who falsified quake-resistance data for designs of apartment complexes and hotels; Takafumi Horie, former president of Internet startup Livedoor Co., who stands accused of violating the securities and exchange law by falsifying financial reports; and Norimasa Nishida, president of the hotel operator Toyoko Inn, who gave illegal orders for the removal of mandatory parking space for the disabled at hotels after they had passed building inspections.
These fakes are all "outsiders" in Japanese society. Nevertheless, their opinion and conduct are basically the same as those of the "insiders." In other words, the conduct of the insiders, if stretched a bit, coincides with that of the outsiders.