On July 25, 1941, all Japanese assets in the US were frozen.

All oil shipments were held back and Japanese assets in the United States were to be frozen.

And in a notable reversal, foreigners, including Americans, are pouring money into long-term Japanese assets.

Japanese assets abroad grew from nearly US$160 billion in 1980 to over US$2 trillion by 1991, a more than twelvefold increase.

"We'd like you to think about buying Japanese assets the Japanese way."

He cited investors' re-evaluation of Japanese assets and some increase in inflationary expectations in Japan.

July 26, 1941: America freezes all Japanese assets in the US.

Roosevelt immediately froze Japanese assets in the United States.

Ripplewood, though, has been one of the most aggressive buyers of Japanese assets.

And so those investors' enthusiasm for Japanese assets actually imperils the very recovery in which they are so eagerly investing.