Japan's Meltdown.

The article looks at politics and economic conditions in Japan following the 2011 earthquake and the tsunami and nuclear disasters that ensued. It notes there is a received idea that crises are good for Japan in the long run as they stimulate the country to renew itself. The author analyzes this possibility with respect to the 2011 crises. She discusses the revival of debate over the country's reliance on nuclear power, the economic effects of all of the necessary reconstruction, and the possibility that Japanese industry will become more productive and more integrated with the world economy.