the impact on relative competitiveness underwrite the rebuilding of US rust-bucket industries and undermined the strength of japan industry. by the mid-1990s the yen was stronger again against an even weaker dollar, and US industry was in the ascendancy. While japanese companise and technology were strong, they were shifting production overseas to more competitive regions such as asia, australia and the US. japanese growth and employment were dismal. and i put most of it down to the currencies.