For an explanation of why the Japanese government keeps kicking the can down the road instead of facing their problems directly I recommend the book &quot;Dogs and Demons: Tales From the Dark Side of Modern Japan&quot; by Alex Kerr. It was published in 2002 but nothing has really changed.<p><a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;us.macmillan.com&#x2F;books&#x2F;9780809039432" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;us.macmillan.com&#x2F;books&#x2F;9780809039432</a>