Better-informed Japanese consumers are belatedly realizing the advantages to be gained from purchasing and using imported products and services; across the price spectrum.

Japanese companies are desperately seeking competitively-priced foreign products, components, parts and services, in efforts to reduce costs and survive.

They are moving, in droves, toward offshore manufacturing, on their own, or through strategic alliances with overseas partners; thus generating a plethora of new opportunities for foreign firms.

The Japanese government is under enormous pressure, both internally and externally, to deregulate the domestic market and boost consumption.  Hence, creating a swiftly growing capacity for imports.

Foreign governments are also keen to assist their own domestic businesses' efforts to crack the potentially lucrative Japanese market.