Paradigm Shift: Kansai Enterprises Contemplate a

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 OSAKA KOBE 000037 SENSITIVE SIPDIS COMMERCE FOR ITA BRICKMAN AND SANTILLO DOE FOR PI BISCONTI AND EE CHALK AND KIMBIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EINV ETRD ENRG PGOV JA SUBJECT: Paradigm Shift: Kansai Enterprises Contemplate a World Economy with a Shrunken U.S. Market, Spreading Joblessness, and a Change/Choice Election ¶1. (SBU) Summary: "Paradigm shift" was the catchphrase of choice during the annual meeting of Kansai area economic groups, global companies, high tech firms, and other major enterprises. With major stakes in manufacturing for export, many participants bemoaned the gloomy prospects for dealing with the disruption to a world economy of shrinking U.S. individual and industrial consumption. Others expressed worries about a future of dealing with China as both market and competitor. Some emphasized Kansai's comparative advantages in solar, advanced batteries, and other green technologies, but positive outlooks for these sectors, noted others, only partially offset current losses in a wider array of sectors. The collapse in foreign, and particularly, American demand that has led to large numbers of layoffs, now reaching beyond "temporary" contract workers to include regular employees as well, triggered a substantial debate on corporate social responsibility for the unemployed. Generally inclined to support the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP),a good number of Kansai business participants nevertheless expressed clearly their dissatisfaction with the current political stalemate and lack of leadership in these troubled times. Frequent characterization of this year's general elections as a "change" or "choice" election may bode ill for the LDP. End Summary. -------------- Disruption -------------- ¶2. (U) "Panasonic Annual Loss $4 Billion; 15,000 Jobs Cut" -- this was the headline that greeted participants attending the 2009 annual meeting ("zaikai") of Kansai area business groups, including Kankeiren (the Kansai Economic Federation),the Keizai Doyukai (Japan Association of Corporate Executives) chapters and Chambers of Commerce and Industry from Osaka, Kobe, and Kyoto. Panasonic's unhappy situation was emblematic of the broader gloom that hung over this year's meeting. In his opening remarks, Kankeiren Chairman (and Sumitomo Metals President) Shimozuma Hiroshi noted the severity of the challenges confronting Japanese businesses; the financial crisis that has spread globally, and the collapse of broad consumption in America that has led to huge losses for a substantial number of the export manufacturing enterprises represented at the meeting. In the seven break-out sessions, these themes were reiterated in various forms by different business leaders. -------------- What Is to Be Done? -------------- ¶3. (U) While there was general consensus about the dire nature of the present situation, there was substantial divergence about how best to respond. "Japan must reduce its export dependence on the U.S. market, and further develop markets in Asia" proclaimed several speakers, but there was disagreement on, for example, whether China was more potential competitor than a good market. "Japan should focus on eco-manufacturing of green goods," proclaimed some, but many of the same companies with advanced solar panel, battery, and other "green" technologies (such as Sharp, Panasonic, Sanyo, and others) have incurred huge losses in their home electronics and other business sectors, leading to concerns about the sector's ability to continue the large scale investment necessary to fully develop and manufacture "green" products. -------------- Jobs, Jobs, Jobs -------------- ¶4. (U) There was sharp disagreement about what to do about the growing numbers of unemployed, not merely among OSAKA KOBE 00000037 002 OF 003 contract labor (Japan's version of a "flexible labor force") but also among regular employees. Kyoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and Omron Corporation President Tateishi Yoshio asserted that Kyoto enterprises, such as his, do not pursue profits at any cost, and that as a matter of social responsibility, companies should do all they can to avoid layoffs, including job sharing, even though this would likely dilute individual worker's pay within a company. Representatives of companies which had already instituted layoffs (including Panasonic and Sharp) countered that they "restructured" only after careful consideration of the number of workers that their payrolls could carry in light of the sharp drop-off in sales. Moreover, they countered with the view that work-sharing is detrimental not only to the flexibility that enterprises must maintain but also to the income and job performance of retained workers. -------------- Punches and Jabs with Opposition Party -------------- ¶5. (U) Opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) Diet member (and Senior Advisor) Fujii Hirohisa urged passage of legislation to convert all non-regular employees into regular staff at companies, entitling them to greater benefits in a layoff. This prompted Kankeiren Chairman Shimozuma to strongly object, arguing that this would unduly burden employers at a time of major economic stress. The two also clashed on stimulus policies, with Fujii arguing against government rebates to individuals and other "wasteful" handouts and programs. Fujii claimed the rebates are designed to boost the standing of Prime Minister Aso and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in the run-up to the general election, and added that a boost to the consumption tax would surely follow to pay for the short-term excess. Shimozuma countered that infrastructure improvements, such as roads, one-time government payments to taxpayers, and government intervention to support corporate finance are absolutely crucial at this point in time. -------------- "Choice" Election -------------- ¶6. (SBU) The friction between Shimozuma and Fujii likely reflects real discomfort that the Kansai business elites feel with regard to the DPJ and its leader, Ozawa Ichiro. However, the main political message that emerged from the meeting was uniform dissatisfaction; dissatisfaction with the stalemate brought about by the "twisted politics" of a lower house controlled by the ruling party and an upper house controlled by the opposition, and dissatisfaction with weak leadership from Prime Minister Aso Taro. These were the themes emphasized by Honma Masaaki, President of the Kansai Institute for Social and Economic Research (the in-house think tank of Kankeiren) and repeated by numerous other participants during breaks and at the evening reception. Moreover, one of the seven break-out sessions was devoted to discussing the need for a major political realignment after the upcoming elections (along with descriptions of "Japan at a crossroads" and calls for a "Heisei Restoration" that would reinvigorate politics). Also gaining considerable currency was a call for a "choice" ("sentaku") election, where partisan collections of ideas would clash, and voters would decide the general course for the nation. -------------- Concluding Comment -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Ordinarily the annual "zaikai" is a staid affair, but this year's was far different. Like it or not, global OSAKA KOBE 00000037 003 OF 003 circumstances have brought about changes that have forced difficult choices upon Kansai's elite businesses. While the mood was somber, there was also a sense of urgency and awareness of the need for action. DONG