During the 1980s many Japanese began to feel the pressures of ‘internationalizing.’ At the same time, Japanese-style industrial relations came to receive wide international attention. For most people ‘Japanese-style industrial relations’ came to mean the ‘three sacred treasures’: lifetime employment, seniority wages and enterprise unionism. During the 1980s many Japanese began to feel the pressures of ‘internationalizing.’ At the same time, Japanese-style industrial relations came to receive wide international attention. For most people ‘Japanese-style industrial relations’ came to mean the ‘three sacred treasures’: lifetime employment, seniority wages and enterprise unionism.

Hirosuke Kawanishi, translated by Ross E. Mouer.