And this is where the myth of Japan really falls apart - many think that the official figures (which are pretty horrible already) are not the real figures, but just the 'best' estimate.

The thing is the government will fight tooth and nail, and screw anyone over to keep one thing afloat - and that's its companies.

Quote Originally Posted by Maciamo View Post
In other words, the Japanese state has been using ordinary people's savings to create employment, but as they can't repay, it equals to stealing all the nation's savings (and Japanese have one of the highest saving rate in the world).
Japan has the most horrible interest rates in the world for savings, and most people keep savings because they are told to - by the governement who uses those same savings. Because the government has a huge pool of savings to work from, they haven't backed down one bit and continue to drive the country deeper into the red.

Doesn't help that almost all the prefectures are also in debt, and rely heavily on the national government for assistance to stay afloat. And the banks. And big companies... hmmm...