I am not going to try sitting picking over the data with anyone. What I find striking is that I and others (that is how this thread started), who travel the world just aren't seeing the universe as Fingelton is seeing it. Japan, outside the big cities, really has an extremely decayed look compared to even the rust belt in the US and mid level European countries.

Fingleton wrote a similar piece in The Atlantic some time ago. I emailed him then, referring him to this tread among other things (he responded, but not to this point).