Title: Historical trends and the present state of Japan's industry and manufacturing

Authors: K. Hitomi

Addresses: Centre for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, 34-32 Yoshida-nakaoji-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan

Abstract: Historical developments in Japanese industry, especially the manufacturing industry during the period of 1955 to 1999 (the latest year when accurate data are available) are reviewed, and Japan|s manufacturing efficiency is analysed and evaluated by three kinds of measures; that is, yield rate, efficiency index, and relative productivity. It is found that Japan|s manufacturing efficiency is high in terms of the efficiency index and relative productivity, but the lowest from the standpoint of the yield rate among classified industrial sectors. Japan|s industrial labour productivity is also compared with that of other industrialised countries, which results in rather low productivity for Japanese industry from the standpoint of purchasing power parity.

Keywords: efficiency index; Japanese industry; Japanese manufacturing efficiency; labour productivity; relative productivity; yield rate.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMTM.2002.001447

International Journal of Manufacturing Technology and Management, 2002 Vol.4 No.3/4, pp.239-249

Published online: 03 Jul 2003 *

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