Tokyo, Japan, which has lifted its COVID-19 lockdown, is currently enjoying a special visit from tourists. Long lines form along Ginza Street with people looking to buy Japanese whiskey and sake, a traditional Japanese liquor, and shoppers looking to buy luxury goods. Foreign tourists flock to enjoy the falling value of the yen, known as “Bargain Japan.” The real estate market is also flooded with inquiries from foreign investors. A real estate agent said that inquiries from overseas about purchasing real estate exceed 200,000 per month. ■ Japan alone in a weak yen and deflation amidst the ultra-strong dollar and inflation The phenomenon of the weak yen falling into a black hole alone amid the ultra-strong dollar that is making the global economy nervous. As the value of the yen falls to its lowest level in 32 years, many concerns about Japan’s current situation, such as “cheap Japan,” “bargain Japan,” and “Japan sinking,” are becoming reality. Japan, which purchased a large amount of overseas real estate in the late 1980s when it was experiencing rapid economic growth, has now completely reversed its position. As the value of the yen fell and Japanese real estate became relatively cheap, big money from overseas is rushing to buy Japanese real estate at a low price. And this rush of foreign capital to buy Japanese real estate is expected to continue next year. This is the background of the term “bargain sale Japan” referring to Japan. In the meantime, the lives of Japanese people have become even more difficult. While prices in Japan, which had not budged until then, are skyrocketing due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, wages alone have remained stagnant for 20 years. Households are reducing consumption, companies are reducing investment, and Japan is actually in a lost state as anxiety about losing spreads. What is causing Japan to fall into the swamp of deflation? ■ Why can’t Japan end its “lost 30 years?” Ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, former Prime Minister Abe appeared dressed as Mario, a world-famous game character created by Japan, and expressed his determination to revive Japan. However, the result was a crushing defeat, and as corruption among the Olympic Organizing Committee officials was revealed, even the 2030 Winter Olympics bid in Sapporo was put on red alert, and the bitter criticism of Japanese intellectuals continued that no Japanese person considered the Olympics a success. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which had been expected to fire a flare for revival by shouting “Again 1964,” ended without any results. Japan, which insisted on a vertically integrated social structure alone while the global industrial structure was shifting from manufacturing to IT and structurally reorganizing into a horizontal division of labor society, lost innovation in the meantime. Japan, which used to be a semiconductor kingdom, gave up semiconductors just before the smartphone era began, and as a result of failing to read the flow of the industrial revolution, is now in a position where it has to worry about the supply of semiconductors. ■ Japan’s fall and breakthrough, what does Japan’s “lost 30 years” tell us? Japan’s fall is an undeniable reality, but it is also true that it is pouring all its energy into finding the driving force to overcome the stagnation. In order to address the semiconductor shortage and secure a stable supply chain, Japan is preparing to attract Taiwan's TSMC, the world's largest semiconductor contract manufacturer, to Kumamoto, Kyushu, formerly known as Silicon Island, and begin full-scale production in 2024. Could this TSMC attraction be an opportunity for recovery? Japan, a manufacturing powerhouse, is also firmly maintaining its position as the world's No. 1 industrial robot manufacturer and leading the future cutting-edge robot industry. In addition, the companion dog robot 'Aibo' equipped with artificial intelligence AI technology shows how much Japan expects and what efforts it is pouring into the AI ​​robotics sector. Japanese scholars warn that South Korea should not fall into the mindset that "we have surpassed Japan, we have succeeded." Japan's lost 30 years, deflation that is still unrecoverable, and spreading pessimism about the future! What should we prepare and what should we do to become a South Korea of ​​growth, achievement, and maturity different from Japan? On the 27th at 10 PM, KBS's current affairs program [Bargain Sale Japan] will analyze Japan's lost 30 years and find a way for South Korea to go beyond achievement and become a mature society. #Japan #Lost30Years #BargainSaleJapan #TSMCSemiconductor #Rapidus #2Nano #AverageKorea-JapanWage #NominalGDPPerCapita #SoniaIvo #japan #日本 Reporter: Choi Seong-won Cameraman: Kim Tae-seok Video Editing: Song Hwa-in Writer: Lim Nan-young Data Research: Lee Jong-hyeon Assistant Director: Lee Jeong-yoon Broadcast Date: KBS 1TV 2022.12.27. 10 PM KBS 1TV / YouTube 'Current Affairs Plannin