How Do You Say “Chutzpa” in Japanese?

          Today’s Wall Street Journal reports (John Murphy, Nissan to Slash Payroll, Pare Japanese Output, Feb. 9, 2009, at p. B1) that as part of its retrenchment brought about by the declining automobile market, our good friends at Nissan are expected to seek assistance inter alia from the U.S. Government. How is that for chutzpa?

         That’s the same Nissan that was the beneficiary of a state government handout for a new plant in Mississippi, to the tune of a 2.5 square mile plant site that was condemned by the state for Nissan, plus  $400 million in cash, plus $17 million for a vehicle preparation building, plus $80 million for a job training program, plus $60 million for new roads serving the new Nissan plant. See our post entitled Arigato, Gaijin San, November 2, 2008.

        But evidently, our Japanese friends don’t think that’s enough and — if the Wall Street Journal is to be believed — they’ll be asking for more, so they can better compete with American domestic car producers and do what they can to drive them out of business. Chutzpa indeed.