According to Japanese government data, shipments home from overseas plants have more than doubled in a decade to a record Y8.4 trillion ($107.4 billion) in 2011, including a 31% jump in the past two years. A stronger yen, an aging workforce, and improved worker skills overseas have eroded a century-old tenet that Japan only buys what's made in Japan. It's not just consumer brands: Industrial goods such as electrical machinery and chemicals top the list of Japan-bound Japanese products made abroad. After a 45% gain in the yen against the dollar in the past five years, businesses have accelerated the move abroad to countries that offer skilled workforces and lower costs. These offshore factories have profit margins on average 2.5 to three times higher than domestic operations, says Jesper Koll, head of equity research at JPMorgan Securities in Tokyo.