True in my little slice of Japan, too. I work in Nagoya, The Town Toyota Built. People don't always understand when I say this, but I don't work for Toyota to the extent that anyone in Nagoya can be said not to work for Toyota.<p>Here's an example of how that works:<p>1) American car industry goes nearly bankrupt<p>2) Company supporting American car industry downsizes a plant.<p>3) A company supplying Toyota seizes the opportunity to expand to a new location and begins plans to integrate it into the Toyota borg<p>4) This includes them needing logistical support so a different company in the Toyota borg needs to open a new office in a middle American state<p>5) The new office needs software services and would prefer to get them locally but with people their managers can work with<p>6) My employers start making plans for our third American office<p>I appreciate your discretion in not asking me to name names.<p>When assets are available at fire sale prices, and you're holding a lot of cash, life is pretty sweet. (I've been plowing all the yen I can spare into investments, too. Of course I'm not a market timer so I'm always doing that but this appears to be one of the seasons which proves why the strategy works.)