While American politicians and the media focus on China’s anticompetitive practices, similar practices in Japan go largely unnoticed. American auto-manufacturers have long suffered from Japanese protectionism and, more recently, U.S. tech and gaming companies have become targets.
A classic example of this Japanese protectionism is Sony and its PlayStation video gaming console, which controls more than 95% of the Japanese market for high-end consoles. The Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) turns a blind eye as Sony violates Japan’s antitrust laws with its aggressive efforts to stifle competition from its main competitor in the market, Microsoft and its Xbox console and subscription service.
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