Abstract
We are experiencing great transformations. Firstly, as market is saturated by proliferation of products, Japan is reproached for expanding trade surplus. Secondly, Europe and America refuse to guide Japan especially in the field of Research and Development(R&D). Now is the time for us to examine what R&D system should be in coming societies. This paper shows quantitatively that the Japanese economy is supported by manufacturing industries and that the Japanese R&D system is suitable for process innovation or gradual improvements of technologies invented by Europeans or Americans. The letter is closely related to the lifelong employment system. In our coming societies, such a feature can't be hold anymore. Becuase the coming societies have to make allowance for finiteness of the world. This means that we should attach much importance to maintenance than production.
