http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21992700

I'd no idea Sony sold insurance

Me neither. That's something for the "something I learned today" thread...

'See all our FAILboats? What if that happened to YOU...'

They are all what the Japanese call Zaibatsus I think - big corporations that exist in all sorts of sectors. Japanese business culturally doesn't seem to go for specialisation the way western corporations do.

I think that the term you are looking for is Keiretsu.. I think that one of the biggest problems that they have is the companies are top down structures and no one gets promoted for espousing an alternative answer. It is considered disrespectful. So if you have an idiot at the top then they all agree with the idiot. Any independent thought is discouraged.

Wait, our government is a copy of a Japanese corporation?

Not quite there are loads within the Tory party that want the boss out. If that were a Japanese corporation they would be silent, out of honour. Though if you consider the policy failures then yes they are just as inept.