This trope played a large part in creating the world we know today. We have to go back to after WW2, Japan was occupied by the American military and the US was working on assisting in reconstruction and aid as well as doing some manipulating here and there of culture and government and such to “help” create a Japan that was more to the preference of the American leadership of the time.
So there was a lot of interaction between certain Japanese business and industry and government workers and American military personnel who were acting as advisors and monitors and such. A sort of occupational junta light if you will- quasi government governing the government from behind. So- the semi conductor had been recently discovered and america had the specs on some recent breakthroughs. A young Japanese salaryman would meet this American official as part of the whole reconstruction and such. So they sit down one day and the American basically, almost literally says:
“I have a folder on my desk with top secret information I ant show you, but is going to change the world and business. I need to go to the bathroom, I’m leaving this here…” and so the Japanese guy took the hint and inside was all this info on semi conductors. So he got together with his pals and they started extensive work into semiconductors that would before long see Japan mass producing semi conductors and making all sorts of little trinket gadgets like IC radios and such for export and home use. This industry and trade boom was backed by continued semiconductor research which before too long after had Japan supplanting the USA as the worlds premiere supplier of advanced semiconductor technology. It wasn’t until very recently that the USA managed to at least temporarily take back the title of most advanced semi conductor technology.
So the boom of the Japanese economy and the explosion of interest and commerce and export that saw Japan through the 1989’s become a major economy in the world and a leader in industry and technology, that took Japan from being very similar to the “made in China” of its day to being above all others in perception of quality in many segments- that was basically a real life version of this trope. Some guy passing a folder to an acquaintance was a catalyst that ultimately helped see Japan become a world leader and standard bearer in technologies from computing and electronics to automobiles and more. I want to be clear that Japan gets the credit. The information helped jump start things and get in early but without hard work and ingenuity etc. the info was useless.
It’s also important to note that many stereotypes and perceptions like the Japanese “work till you drop” culture and such can be linked to the reconstruction. Things were real bad in the war and after for many Japanese and there was so much that needed done that people often had to go to those lengths for themselves and their fellows to have any chance.
So there was a lot of interaction between certain Japanese business and industry and government workers and American military personnel who were acting as advisors and monitors and such. A sort of occupational junta light if you will- quasi government governing the government from behind. So- the semi conductor had been recently discovered and america had the specs on some recent breakthroughs. A young Japanese salaryman would meet this American official as part of the whole reconstruction and such. So they sit down one day and the American basically, almost literally says: