TV drama captures public angst at 'Made in Japan' decline
Reuters -- Feb 08

A Japanese electronics firm near bankruptcy, a ruthless Chinese rival and a laid-off engineer feature in a popular TV drama that is hitting a public nerve in a nation fretting over the decline of a once-admired manufacturing model.

A weaker yen due to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's expansionary economic policies has lightened some of the gloom for exporters, but NHK public TV's "Made in Japan" serial reflects a deep angst about an ailing manufacturing sector that was once key to Japan's success and a source of national pride.

The 3-part drama, which ends on Saturday, covers a secret "restructuring" team's race against a 3-month deadline to come up with a survival plan for "Takumi Electric" - the name means "artisan" in Japanese - before the bank pulls the plug.

Source: Reuters

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