Business: How the Japanese Do It

While no integrated steel mills have been built in the U.S. since 1964, modern and highly productive plants have been going up in Japan. In a 40-hr, week, the Japanese steel worker produces about 4.8 tons of the metal, the U.S. worker turns out 4.6 tons and the West German 3.8 tons. Japan's commitment to efficient steel production is illustrated by that country's most modern steel plant, the Nippon Kokan (NKK) works on man-made Ohgishima island.

A decade ago, NKK's Keihin Works on the shores of Tokyo Bay were crowded and outdated, and the Japanese government was promulgating tough new antipollution standards....