There are a number of reasons for Japan's underwhelming global presence, but the mercantilist economic model—which encourages the Japanese to think about and experience global culture in a one-sided manner—is clearly a central factor. As YUKAWA Masao (at the time, an Associate Director of Mitsubishi) pointed out in his 1999 article “Japan's Enemy is Japan,” when the Japanese talk about kokusaika, or internationalization, they almost always mean internationalization from Japan—outward investments and acquisitions, and tourists going abroad (sotonaru kokusaika), —as opposed to vice-versa (uchinaru kokusaika).

Even internationalization in the “safe” direction, from Japan to the world, has often proven to be a disappointment. Many Japanese managers working outside Japan fall quickly outside their comfort zone, with the result that many Japanese acquisitions and partnerships abroad have proven to be expensive failures. Similarly, there are relatively few Japanese exercising leadership in prominent global organizations and forums. In striking contrast to Germany's highly constructive, conciliatory role in Europe over the last several decades, Japan has done little that could be described as effective— beyond the rhetoric— to build a community in Asia.

Internationalization in the other direction, meanwhile, slows to a trickle. Immigration policy, conducted under the bureaucratic Immigration Bureau motto, “Internationalization in compliance with the rules,” keeps the number of foreign workers low, despite widespread recognition that Japan would benefit from a major expansion on this front.