When i read the question all though i admit that it is not the answer of the question but i feel that my information regarding the Japanese during my earlier school days has inspired me that Japanese are certainly a good HRD .

I refer to the incident which i came to know during school days that Japanese were taking lunch during this time one of person could not get the food according to his liking & taste he was leaving the place due  to this & in the meantime one of the Japanese show the person leaving without taking food they called him & allow him to sit with them & offer the food according to his taste .

While chit chatting when leaving the place the concerned person thank the Japanese heartier at that they told him that instead of offering the thanks when you meet your own friends & members at that time you may kindly talk to them that Japanese are hospitable person .

This remain during my childhood that how kind the people of Japanese are . After my experience at this stage i believe that Japanese are certainly human resource management thinking . This incident has recalled my childhood & it not out of the way I have touch this incident in the line with my observation .

This is my personal opinion 

Prof. Saini, hearty thanks for initiating the discussion on such an interesting topic. Of course, the influence of Japanese style of management is of no mean order when it comes to modern HRM practices. You've rightly pointed at the crisis Japanese values of 'seniority-based pay' and 'life-time employment' have faced in recent years of the neo-liberalism. Yet, Japanese preference for promoting the values of labour-participation and recognition in work-teams has also got postulated in modern HRM; and it's something I've also experienced first hand during my part-time affiliation with an INGO here in Nepal where we have been working with Japanese collaborators. They make sure that every one in the team has his/her say. Congrats sir, once again.  

After the debacle and defeat in the Second World War, Japan emerged as new economic super state. The Japanese miracle had been possible because of the method of management of firms, human relation and decision making process. Japanese approach is ‘ Hire and Develop( William G Ouchi’s Theory Z ) in contrast to American ‘ Hire and Fire approach ‘ and Western European ‘ Bureaucratic ‘ approach. Unlike west, where decisions are usually top-bottom, in Japan it is the ‘Ringi’ system. The land of  the ‘Rising Sun’  could make the miracle possible through better management of available scanty resources, employee involvement, trust which lead to higher productivity. The concern for human aspect of organization, quality management, and development of human potential made Japanese industry  highly innovative and productive. Japan’s people centic innovative management system has made the Japanese management concept an enigma and inspiration to all.

But despite the claims of Japanese showing allegiance to people-centric values, why is it that employees engagement is very low in Japan. I can not understand this mystery.

Dear Debi,

Thanks for your invite. 

Japanese people are very interesting and with quite different attitudes. As far as their works are concerned, they very much obey hierarchy in the course of an assigned task. They are very hard work people. In the apparent present situations, their works and products are as popular as before. I suppose some outside manipulating forces are acting on them to deviate from their  previous path of activities.  And not neo-liberalism could be one of the factors, which are prevailing in most countries with a proved novelty in their lifestyles. 

Its the cuture

 In the paper, titled “ Why Japanese workers show low work engagement: An item response theory analysis of the Utrecht Work Engagement scale “ Written by authors: Akihito Shimazu, Wilmar B Schaufeli, Daisuke Miyanaka, Noboru Iwata, which has been mentioned by Prof Saini, in the conclusion, the authors have said the following

“ This article addressed psychometric issues in conducting cross-cultural studies in the field of occupational health psychology. In comparing positive aspects of well-being like work engagement between western countries and Asian countries (at least Japan), we should take into account the tendency to suppress the expression of positive affect among Japanese as well as the tendency for self-enhancement among westerners. Hence, for the time being, we should be cautious when interpreting low engagement scores among Japanese as well as high engagement scores among western employees. “

The accuracy of measurement and interpretation is of utmost importance in research. West developed Managerial Capitalism, where as Japan developed Managerial Humanism and economic development model.

In fact, I like the comments posted by Jaharkanti as he stated that the Japanese miracle had been possible because of the method of management of firms, human relation and decision making process. Japanese approach is Hire and Develop in contrast to American Hire and Fire approach. 

Every system has its plus points. may be the zen systems effect is there on japanese style. certainly the system of kaisen -continuous improvement,in quality control whenapplied to all activities speaks a lot on Excellence & professionalism. The joke that when japs received an order that upto 3 defects are allowed from an US company and shipped  100% ok items (Zero defect)and manufactured & sent 3 defect itemsseparately to comply with the order -as they could not understand the concept, Their involvement in work-call it workcohalics,their discipline,their means of apoligising-trains keeping time in seconds and apollogising for few seconds late personally are all things to be emulated. Certainly japanese style has influenced management concepts.

Interesting Question. This book has a chapter on it

https://books.google.co.in/books?id=Qb1nAgAAQBAJ&dq=international+business+sixth+edition+JUSTIN+PAUL&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjfy5a1qc7PAhXCqR4KHXxeDxYQ6AEIHTAA

Yes it has