Just a few generations ago, before air travel and overnight delivery, before telecommunications and globalization, cross-cultural contact between U.S. and Japanese businesses was nearly non-existent. Since World War II, however, the two nations have exerted a significant influence on each other's industrial development. Use the links below to discover how the traditions of Japan have influenced transitions in the U.S., and how the traditions of the U.S. have influenced transitions in Japan.

Zaibatsus and Keiretsus

For hundreds of years prior to WWII, Japanese business and industry developed based on half a dozen corporate family dynasties, known as zaibatsu. In the aftermath of the war, Allied occupation forces dismantled the zaibatsus, and the Japanese were required to re-build their intricate business infrastructure from scratch. Find out how the new business structures, keiretsus, not only helped effect an amazing economic recovery in Japan but also affected new ideas and innovation in the U.S.

Data and Demographics

Read about historical and contemporary facts and demographic information about Japan and its industries.

Quality Control

Read more about the scope of Japanese influence on quality control practices in U.S. industry.

Deming's Statistical Control Process

Statistician W. Edwards Deming was a key figure in improving American manufacturing processes during WWII. Less than a decade after the war, Japanese business leaders embraced Deming's statistical control process in an effort widely credited with transforming Japan's postwar economy.

Industry Developments

A wide variety of businesses have been transformed by the exchange of ideas, information, and commerce between Japan and the U.S. since WWII. Some of them are:

• Auto Industry
• Entertainment and Film
• Patents and Inventions
• Renewable Energy

As in the U.S., a growing number of businesses in Japan have begun to tackle social responsibilities that extend beyond a profit and loss statement.