But by ignoring the established corporate financing agencies (such as the large banks and white shoe brokerage houses) and traditional corporate finance methods, Drexel and the Milkens upset many an established power.

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Despite the respect some Japanese may have of U.S. risk assessment methods, when it comes to finance we proved ourselves no better.

FORBES: Japan's Nuclear Crisis Looks A Lot Like Our Financial Crisis

This is because in recent years the Japanese Finance Ministry has taken to using the most conservative possible methods to calculate growth.

FORBES: Paul Krugman Says It Again: Japan's Stagnation Is A Myth

Not just new inventions, but new methods of organization, marketing, worker motivation and production, distribution and finance.

FORBES: How About Tax Reparations For The Rich?

Although the top eight established consumer-finance companies control roughly 80% of the market, their reputations have been hurt by scandals over aggressive collection methods and outrageous interest rates.

ECONOMIST: Japanese consumer finance