The Recession in Japan, Part 2: Land of the Setting Sun?

Since the massive collapse of its housing and equities bubble in 1990, Japan has tried every trick in the book to deal with its economic woes, from lowering interest rates to expanding government spending. With nothing new at its disposal to effectively fight the current global recession on its own, Japan will have to ride the coattails of its chief external markets — especially the United States and China — for any kind of recovery. But bleak demographics mean Japan's best days may be behind it. Editor's Note: This is part of an ongoing series on the global recession and signs indicating how and when the economic recovery will begin. Click here for The Recession in Japan, Part 1.