How the country's 'dark valley' of 1930s paved the way for a brilliant future

It is a nightly routine with little variation. After my bath, I repair to the living room, dim the lights and settle into a good book. An hour or so later, my wife, who is Japanese, emerges from her soak and switches on the main lights -- a fluorescent, halogen and neon cocktail that solarizes the room, leaving me blinking and dazed, like a rabbit caught in the headlights of an approaching truck.

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Discover the all new Nikkei Asia app

Nikkei Asian Review, now known as Nikkei Asia, will be the voice of the Asian Century.

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