LYNETTE and I just returned from a short trip to Japan. As usual, we had a wonderful time ... especially with what the Japanese call “shoku yoko no aki” ("good food autumn" ... meaning the grub is especially good at this time of year) in full swing. Add a few cups of hot sake and you’ve got a party! So many fresh vegetables, so much great fruit ... and don’t even get me started about the fish.

If you go to Japan this time of year, one thing you can be certain about is the delicious food ... but the mood of the people is something else entirely.

The shock and fear that followed last year’s massive earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster has finally faded, but most people still seem very unsure of where their country is headed, and what the future has in store.

Most of our friends reported that business is bad, and our accountant said that for reasons no one seems to fully understand, sales in almost all the small companies she works with have been terrible since the spring.

The strong yen is often blamed, as is the dreary state of the world economy ... both of which are hurting Japan’s vital export industries.

Increased competition from ever-stronger industries in China and Korea isn’t helping either.

Nor is the country’s persistent lack of effective leadership.

The only really good economic news we heard was from a friend who is the sales manager of a building materials company. His sales are doing pretty well now ... but it’s a kind of silver cloud with a dark lining. The national consumption tax is set to increase from its current level of 5 percent to 8 percent in 2014, and then up to 10 percent in 2015. As a result, lots of people are building houses now ... but in two years the market is expected to plunge.

On the other hand, many companies and people are finding ways to adapt. You can get an excellent meal now at any number of restaurants at prices we can only dream about here on Guam, and the always fabulous service has, if anything, gotten even better.

Many creative, but jobless, young people are buying or renting dilapidated old traditional buildings at rock-bottom prices, renovating them themselves, and setting up new restaurants, galleries and other businesses, or renting them out to supplement the family income.

Beyond economics, the situation with China also has a lot of people spooked.

Most Japanese take it as a matter of faith that their claim on the Senkaku islands is ironclad, and they are having a very hard time dealing with the level of animosity they are seeing from the Chinese over the issue.

Worse, it is something the ultra-nationalists in both countries have started to demagogue, and genuine hatred seems to be developing on both sides. Following the recent anti-Japanese riots we saw in China, there have now been reports of some Japanese rightists attacking innocent Chinese citizens in Japan as well.

While most analysts doubt that either the Chinese or Japanese governments want to let the island issue interfere with the two countries’ economic relations, others fear the situation is perilous, and that something could happen which would send it spiraling out of control in ways no one can predict.

Without a doubt, the future holds a lot of uncertainty for Japan ... and Guam could easily be affected by whatever happens.

One thing I do know for sure, however, is that now that I am back on Guam, having let my belt out a notch or two, I will certainly need to go on a diet!