Dogs and Demons
by Alex Kerr · first published 2001
100% recommend
Why HN recommends it
Documents how public construction spending, zoning, and real estate rules shaped modern Japan, with concrete examples of river paving and land-use problems; suits readers wanting a critical look at Japan's institutions.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
"In an ancient tale, a Chinese emperor asks his court painter about the easiest and most difficult subjects to paint. The painter replies, "Dogs are difficult, demons are easy." To Alex Kerr, a longtime resident expert and observer, Japan's "dogs" are the vital activities that sustain an ecologically and culturally responsible economy, while the expedient "demons" are the million-dollar boondoggles that have bulldozed and cemented over so much of Japan today.". "Dogs and Demons offers tales from the dark side of Japan's well-known modern accomplishments. For Japan's problems go far beyond its
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I would recommend Alex Kerr's 'Dogs and Demons' book about Japan. It is kind of old (2001) but it is still a great read about what have been some of the specific problems from Japan these past decades.
on “An Innovator Leaving Japan” ↗…the US. If one were to read up on Japan, it's clear that for a first world country, it's rather corrupt --not the same way, say Indis is corrupt, but still, I feel more so than the US, specifically. Dogs and Demons (A. Kerr) is filled with instances how corruption has contributed to massive misallocation of resources, coverups of environmental contamination, political favoritism, cronyism, etc. resulting in the…
on “#BoycottApple trending on Google plus due to Galaxy Nexus ban” ↗…been happening in Japan. They have literally paved over ecologically sensitive sites and built bridges to nowhere in a misguided, counterproductive attempt to stimulate economic growth. For details see "Dogs and Demons: Tales from the Dark Side of Japan" by Alex Kerr. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780809039432
on “China is catching up to the USA, while Japan is being left behind” ↗I'd recommend you read "Dogs & Demons" by Alex Kerr, which is specifically about land use in modern Japan.
on “Houses in Japan are going for as little as $500” ↗…https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/762585.Yakuza To get a grasp of the darker sides of modern Japan, I wholly recommend these two books: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/254259.Japan and https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/93803.Dogs_and_Demons Both are real eye openers. The first is a must-read and very good overview. The latter concentrates on post-WW2's construction state but don't be repelled by that, because the construction sector is…
…construction companies now, an industry where there's been a wild amount of corruption for a long time- in part why most rivers have completely unnecessary concrete banks, ostensibly for "flood control". See "Dogs and Demons" by Alex Kerr (http://alex-kerr.com/html/dogs___demons__english_.html). Anecdotally, I know someone who owned a house in Okazaki (a city outside of Nagoya). Someone decided they wanted the land for a…
on “Japanese Words in Neuromancer” ↗For anyone interesting in learning more about the scale of river-paving and publicly-funded construction projects that Japan undertook in the 80s and 90s, then take a look at Alex Kerr's excellent book, Dogs and Demons.
on “When Japan Collapses” ↗…political power. A large number of the laws promoting new construction over renovation or purchase of existing buildings benefit the construction industry more than property owners. I recommend Alex Kerr's Dogs and Demons for a more detailed discussion of real estate and zoning laws in Japan.
on “Why Japan Is Crazy About Housing” ↗…karma on this discussion. If you have an interest in the country's culture more than its military history (or modern military history) you might enjoy some of Alex Kerr's writing, either Lost Japan or Dogs and Demons.
on “How the Hiroshima bombing is taught around the world” ↗For an explanation of why the Japanese government keeps kicking the can down the road instead of facing their problems directly I recommend the book "Dogs and Demons: Tales From the Dark Side of Modern Japan" by Alex Kerr. It was published in 2002 but nothing has really changed. http://us.macmillan.com/books/9780809039432
on “Bank of Japan Is an Estimated Top 10 Holder in 90% of the Nikkei 225” ↗The book "Dogs and Demons: Tales From the Dark Side of Modern Japan" by Alex Kerr covers this well. It's over 20 years old but not much has really changed. The Japanese government is still engaging in major capital misallocation…
on “A peek inside Japan's largest “Dagashi” store” ↗The asset bubble was a problem, but Japan has also suffered from excessive economic central planning leading to malinvestment. They squandered their resources by literally building bridges to nowhere. The book "Dogs & Demons: Tales from the Dark Side of Japan" by Alex Kerr gives a thorough and balanced explanation of what happened. http://alex-kerr.com/html/dogs___demons__english_.html
on “Germany set to eclipse Japan as No. 3 economy in 2023, IMF says” ↗Much of this was predicted pretty well in Alex Kerr's 2002 book "Dogs And Demons: Tales From the Dark Side of Modern Japan". Some of his criticisms seemed a little overwrought but I think his general thesis has been proven out. http://us.macmillan.com/dogsanddemons/AlexKerr
on “As Apple and Samsung dominate, Japan’s tech giants are in a free fall” ↗