Smartphones and intuitive homes

The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada recently released the 2015 version of its National Opinion Poll, a study that covers Canadian public opinion towards trade and investment with various nations in the region.

This year’s study showed that Canadians were very favourable to increased trade and investment with Japan. Japan received approval from 78% of respondents. This result places Japan one point above the United States’ 77%, making Japan the most favourable Asia Pacific country with which Canadians want to further develop economic ties.

Respondents had the opportunity to select reasons for optimism or pessimism for all the states covered in the study. Canadians chose 65% of the time to value Japanese economic ties because they believed it would lead to “new technologies.” Additionally, many respondents believed a strong relationship with Japan could increase trade, provide economic growth, lead to job creation and improve competitiveness of the Canadian economy.

All Japan-related responses are worth exploring further, but the revelation that Canadians overwhelmingly believe that Japan could provide Canada with new technologies is particularly important. The admiration of Japanese technology falls much in line with the findings of FutureBrands’ Country Brand Index 2014-15.

FutureBrand found that Japan was the top national brand in the world because of a perception that it is a leader in advanced technologies. In response to the question, “What is Japan most expert at?” the Country Brand Index had 78% of respondents answering that Japan’s strength is technology. The following five most common answers — out of 15 possible — were consumer electronics, automotive, household appliances, transportation and internet services. It’s not until the seventh most common selection that you find an answer unrelated to technology — fashion.

Officials within the Japanese government must be pleased with such positive results in the aforementioned studies. They demonstrate success in efforts to create synonymy between Japanese products and quality. The results also vindicate the often-criticised “Cool Japan” initiative.

Japan’s strength is even more impressive when considering how strong it has performed against its peers in the Asia Pacific. In the National Opinion Poll, Japan enjoys a sizable lead over South Korea with an approval rate of 67%, India with 59% and China with 42%. In the Country Brand Index, the gap between these Asia Pacific states is even more pronounced. South Korea placed 20th, China 28th and India 50th.

The policy opportunities for Japan in light of its positive perception are plentiful. For one, the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada report shows that the Canadian public has an appetite for more Japanese products and for more investment in Canada. This is a timely result, as in recent years, many Japanese firms have reinvented themselves by shifting away from consumer electronics to more transportation, infrastructure — and more lucratively — household products. Panasonic, Toto, and the like have developed smart home product lines for domestic consumers.

These could prove a hit in Canada and elsewhere if they take advantage of Japan’s recent brand popularity and the aging populations in the West — all in need of comfortable, consumer-friendly, quality household goods. Western consumers are also increasingly interested in smart appliances, with smartphone connectivity and energy saving properties. Apple’s recent HomeKit line is intended to situate Apple ahead of the forthcoming smart home trend—an area where Japanese firms already have a significant leg up over non-Japanese rivals.

A new trade and investment boom between Canada and Japan could help the Japanese government in its efforts to rebuild its economy. Canadians could likewise benefit from household energy saving technologies in an era with homes appliances, automobiles and consumer electronics connected and integrated to owners’ smartphones. Japan — with a strong perception of the quality of its technologies — is well positioned to benefit from these coming consumer trends.

To read the full survey, visit: http://bit.ly/asiapacificpoll

Trevor Kennedy is an M.A. candidate in Asia Pacific policy studies at the University of British Columbia. He writes on various policy-related issues in Northeast Asia on his blog, Asia Pacific Policy (asiapacificpolicy.wordpress.com/). Follow him on Twitter: @TreverPKennedy

The Canadian is a quarterly magazine of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Japan, published by GPlus Media.

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