Understanding how index always increases (or Nikkei vs others indices)

freilona wrote: ↑ Wow you must be new.. But let’s see if anybody says anything different that wasn’t previously repeated here multiple times, in multiple threads

What are the terms used to search for the threads? Or the name of the threads?

I found rodbarc's post about the difference being the saving vs spending culture. Is that it?

ChappyHappy wrote: ↑ So the market always goes up. But the Nikkei peaked in the 90s and never got back up there. It might be the exception, but how do we know it's not foreshadowing the future?
What makes all the other indices different compared to the Nikkei? Or vice-versa?

Most people that advocate indexing (myself included) also advocate diversifying across the globe. Japan is also a unique society/market (has been discussed here), so if you'd put all your eggs in one basket, I wouldn't suggest that one.

ChappyHappy wrote: ↑ So the market always goes up. But the Nikkei peaked in the 90s and never got back up there. It might be the exception, but how do we know it's not foreshadowing the future?
What makes all the other indices different compared to the Nikkei? Or vice-versa?

If I want to see a bit of financial history including Japan, I usually search through the "Credit Suisse Global Investment Returns Yearbooks" put out by Professors Dimson, Marsh and Staunton from the London Business School. Easily found on the net. I usually have to go back and reread myself to refresh my memory.

I have not got the gist of the post but let me say almost all of us are conditioned to consider growth to be good, including rising market indexes, real estate prices. Yet growth in the developed world is killing the planet and degrading our quality of life.

Japan is perhaps the most advanced civilization on earth. It has the highest life expectancy, so it must be doing something right. There is now a slightly declining population on those over crowded islands so the construction industry is very different from countries like ours with mass immigration. IIRC their real estate bubble burst long ago.

So why do we need ever rising indices? Why is rising property prices good? Why does a business need rising revenue? None of that is sustainable. We don't need growth. We need to emulate the country with the rising sun.