Japan's manufacturing collapses while tourism booms—a paradoxical economy with 254.6% debt burden that defies conventional wisdom. Can AI innovation save what labor shortages couldn't?
Japan's once-mighty economic engine sputters as manufacturing stalls and debt soars to 254.6% of GDP.
Can rising tourism and AI innovation save the land of the rising sun?
Structural problems deepen as unemployment rate hovers at a projected 2.4% amid persistent labor shortages. The record 36.87 million foreign tourists visiting Japan in 2024 contributed positively to the economy, offering a glimmer of hope amid manufacturing woes.