Greetings-card firms, such as Hallmark, blazed the way, with the invention of Father's Day, followed by a series of lesser occasions.

ECONOMIST: Trick or treat | The

The division of labour runs thus: the younger Takenaka, Kenji, chisels the cherry-wood blocks to old designs and new ones of his own invention, while his father Seihachi runs off the prints by hand, one by one.

BBC: The art of Japan

Then again, it is also said that necessity is the mother of all invention (and desperation its father?), so perhaps current-account-deficit nations will find the product innovations or the labor productivity gains that can lead to growing the market for their tradable products.

FORBES: Ugly Choices Ahead For Central Bankers: Will The Yen Drop 50%?