I agree with your assessment. Through the 1980's, corporate Japan seemed to be on a more cooperative path. However, there were major changes during that decad

I agree with your assessment. Through the 1980's, corporate Japan seemed to be on a more cooperative path. However, there were major changes during that decade. It's difficult to pinpoint any particular cause, but I think it can be linked to the decline of MITI's influence. MITI was a key to Japan's dominant role leading up to the 1990's. I believe that MITI's success made it a political target, and politics can kill anything. My friends from MITI tended to share a similar opinion.