Pacific Rift: Why Americans and Japanese Don't Understand Each Other

by Michael Lewis

“Lewis’s take is often comic, but his message is serious. He sees Japan as it is and sums up the challenge: ‘How can our capitalism beat their capitalism?’ By keeping his eyes open and asking the right questions, this newcomer comes up with penetrating insights.” ―William J. Holstein, Business Week In Pacific Rift , the best-selling author of Liar’s Poker aims his skewering wit at the so-called cultural clash between Japan and the United States. The result is a very different kind of book on U.S.-Japanese business relations. In search of answers, Michael Lewis hits the road to report on the travails of two businessmen: one a rollicking American insurance agent who works in Tokyo, the other a Harvard-educated Japanese man employed by Mitsui Real Estate in New York City. From the Ginza hostess bars of Tokyo to the “wine-bottle” gangs of Times Square, Lewis dramatizes tragicomic collisions between the two cultures and the basic misconceptions that Americans and Japanese have about each other.

Genres: Nonfiction, Business, Economics, Finance, History, Japan

132 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Michael Monroe Lewis is an American author and financial journalist. He has also been a contributing editor to Vanity Fair since 2009, writing mostly on business, finance, and economics. He is known for his nonfiction work, particularly his coverage of financial crises and behavioral finance.
Lewis was born in New Orleans and attended Princeton University, from which he graduated with a degree in art history. After attending the London School of Economics, he began a career on Wall Street during the 1980s as a bond salesman at Salomon Brothers. The experience prompted him to write his first book, Liar's Poker (1989). Fourteen years later, Lewis wrote Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game (2003), in which he investigated the success of Billy Beane and the Oakland Athletics. His 2006 book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game was his first to be adapted into a film, The Blind Side (2009). In 2010, he released The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine. The film adaptation of Moneyball was released in 2011, followed by The Big Short in 2015.
Lewis's books have won two Los Angeles Times Book Prizes and several have reached number one on the New York Times Bestsellers Lists, including his most recent book, Going Infinite (2023).

Reviews

[Nathan Willard · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, back in 1990 or so, Michael Lewis scammed New York Magazine into sending him for an extended stay in Japan. The result is an uncanny account of Japanese wealth culture written by Lewis, among the world's experts at documenting excess. Like in Liar's Poker, Lewis in this series of essays captures a distinct moment in time, with all of the buildup and fear that marked it.

A decent companion piece to Fallows's Looking into the Sun, which is a much more comprehensive look at Japan's Asian ascendency, Pacific Rift can be consumed fairly quickly and with some lasting images that characterize the time.

[Anne Ward · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pacific Rift, like most of Lewis' work, is reader friendly and entertaining. Unlike some of Lewis' other work though, this book fails to make a conclusive statement. Pacific Rift articulates the difference in U.S. and Japanese business practices, but it never goes beyond story telling.

Two stars: The words flow nicely, but it lacks content and a central idea.

[Tom Yates · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is absolutely tiny. Looks at quite a niche topic. And is one of Lewis’s very early books, so it’s before he became a much better writer who was able to tackle stories of a grander scale.
It’s not bad. It has flashes of his brilliance. But it is definitely for completists.
(Which obviously I totally am, I love this guy).

[Remo · Rating 2 out of 5]

A finales de los noventa Michael Lewis consiguió convencer a la revista New York Magazine para que le financiara una estancia de cuatro meses en Japón. El autor se fija, en este artículo largo/libro corto, en un norteamericano que triunfó en los negocios en Japón y en un japonés que triunfa en los negocios en EE.UU. Con ellos dos como hilo conductor intenta articular las diferencias en la forma de hacer negocios entre estas dos potencias. Al final queda un ensayo deslavazado, que narra dos biografías pero que no acaba de fundirlas bien en una comparativa clarificadora, como pretende el autor. El estilo de escritura es, como siempre, florido y muy fácil de leer, pero el contenido me ha dejado un poco igual.

[Venky · Rating 3 out of 5]

A typical Michael Lewis fare that blends a trademark concoction of scathing with and profound wisdom. This extraordinarily small work (in terms of pages) provides reams of insights into the cause and consequences of Japanese business dealings with the United States of America. Although much water has flown under the bridge since the time this book came out in print for the first time, the essential principles and the underlying logic still seem to stand unhindered.

Pacific Drift - A cleaving account of US-Japan trade relationships

[Jon Green · Rating 2 out of 5]

So it wasn't the worst thing I ever read... there was some interesting stories in I suppose... but it's really not worth your time at this point in the world. The book is 25 years old so much of it is outdated I imagine. The purpose is to kinda give you a surface level basic understanding of Japanese business and their continued impact on American business (and vice versa)... so since you aren't reading a book really meant to stand the test of time it feels like it doesn't. The saving grace is that it's a fairly quick read so if you want to read it for some reason it won't take all that long.

[Gruia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Has a quirky way of looking at financial flows, Lewis. This time it's the why of the Japanese. Like the anecdote of the Native Americans trading in Manhattan for some beads, nowadays the zaibatsu overpaid for some real-estate jewels in the same place. They did it because they were buying status symbols for their world.

Mostly a picture of Japan and its insular economic culture, this very short account is a warning against the islanders keeping to their ways and getting overtaken - again - by the world.

[Jason Oliver · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting look at the business in economic relationship between the United States and Japan, focusing mainly on the late 80s and early 90s. This book highlights to businessmen: An American who conducts business in Japan, and a Japanese who conducts business in the United States.

Though many things have changed since the publication of this book, Lewis' observations give a historical context that is fascinating and informative.

[Barry Beaven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is of its time

Would be interesting for this to be revisited. Perhaps a similar approach taken with China, the pacific is a big place and the rifts between one side and the other don’t seem to be getting smaller, would be lovely to think that Lewis’s books were read by those who could make a difference.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a history book, and it is a fantastic one. If you want to understand how Japanese capitalism meshed, conflicted, and contrasted with American capitalism in the '80s, there is some amazing insight here.

This is not a book that describes current realities as well, though, so don't look for that here. Japan has been through its "lost decade" and is changing quickly.

[Grant · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is good, illuminating.

Read Fifth risk, and that's much better written and exciting. That was my first Michael Lewis book. But I found the topic of this very interesting and gives me a good feel of the zaibatsu.

[Dave Clarke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting as ever, Lewis takes a brief look at America's relationship with Japan (mostly taking advantage of them) and Japan's relationship with America from a business point of view ... by focusing on the experiences of two expats, one in each country, he explains why these two countries act they way they do and what if anything is likely to change ...

[Gerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Long magazine article in reality

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting look at the Japanese economy - the mysteriousness of their approach, a brief glimpse at the opening available during the American occupation. Not sure it was all correct or valid, but it was interesting and a good additional perspective if one were reading a bunch of books with the same subject.

[Matt Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really only useful as an historical look at the Japanese from the 1990's. Much has changed since then, the most notable change that puts this book into the historical economics section is the deregulation of the insurance market. A useful book, but definitely not something to read if you are looking for an up to date look at Japanese ties to America.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

very generalized, but still amusing and provides some insights. The book is not as relevant now, since Japan is not the financial powerhouse it was in the '80s. However, the national character of Japan hasn't really changed, so the book still has contemporary value.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lewis perfectly captures the Japanese US rivalry in 1990 - just about perfectly. As a former resident of Japan I attest to his witty observations of the culture clashes. This is short read and just so damn entertaining. Lots of fun.

[Patrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

ok.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a little dated now, but I found it a terribly interesting introduction to a subject that I knew nothing about.

[Jeremy Raper · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't bother with this; one of Lewis' least readable, and most dated, efforts. Only saving grace is its more a pamphlet than a book, and ends rapidly.

[Ankur Maniar · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of a magazine article than a book. But still the signature style of Michael Lewis makes this 87 page book an interesting read.

[Tim O'Hearn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Michael Lewis without a whole lot of Michael Lewis. There are some remnants of Liar's Poker, but it's missing quite a bit of flair.

[Paul Matheson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lewis recaps his experiences in Japan in the late 80's early 90's.

A good quick read.

Was published as part of "The Larger Agenda Series" with Money / Fortune editor William S Rukeyser acting as Editor in Chief. The book itself is a throw back to a different era. The main sponsor appears to be Federal Express, they have ads every 15 pages or so, the popup ad of the time.

The content was gathered when much of America thought the Japanese were going to own everything. Japan was a growing global manufacturing power house. Japan buying US real estate. In short Japan was the 1980's China. The more things change.....

US Bonds, Earth quakes, Perry,MOF / MITI, AIG, zaibatsui, keiretsu, Americans in Japan, Japanese in the US, Donald Trump, Japan's values and customs, The opening of Japan under Perry and MacArthur.

Seems like he read Reischauer before he wrote the book.

Lewis does good work. Character (Both US / Japanese) are developed. Economic theories discussed.