Japanese companies have been exporting fewer patents abroad. Here are three clues:

Recent statistics indicate that Japanese companies have altered their approach to acquiring patents internationally. "Nikkei Tech Foresight", an online journal, reports the interview of Mr Yuji Okuma, an expert in global patent analysis on the trend. Please visit the Nikkei website to read the article (Japanese). 海外への特許出願が減少、発明力に陰りか　識者に聞く - 日経テックフォーサイト (nikkei.com)