Japans lost decade

With talk of outright falling prices gaining steam in the U.S., it pays to reexamine what happened in Japan during its "lost decade." Turns out that Japan had several buffers -- including less dependence on housing -- that the U.S. is now lacking.

Will our new-found miserly ways keep economic recovery out of our reach? What does the situation in Japan tell us?Over the last few weeks, the news has been filled with stories about consumers clamping down on discretionary spending. Increasingly, analysts are drawing connections between the...