The Japanese

We can all reel of the names of Japanese companies. But who in the West can identify even a few of Japan's top politicians or celebrities? Japanese industry may have invaded our living rooms, but the Japanese themselves remain a far-away enigma. Fuelling this mystery are the baffling contrasts that give Japan its tang: tradition, diligence and quiet conformity collide with an inventive, consumer-mad culture, jangling with neon. Japan may be rich, but cheek-to-cheek overcrowding and a weakness for overwork mean that few Western rivals envy the quality of Tokyo life. Materialism has become an escape-valve: yet while we can imagine coveting a Picasso, would you yearn for a massage with gold foil, or for mink door-knob covers? What do the Japanese make of themselves? What do they make of us? Joe Joseph, ex-Tokyo correspondent for "The Times", finds the answers in this study, in which he reveals a society that has moved so fast that it's not too sure where it's going, or why.