SMSF Noob Question, page-11

'Are you referencing the Lost decade in Japan?'

In 1989 the Japanese index hit 39,000. Best part of 30 years later and it is now around 17,000. I think the Lost 3 decades' may be more appropriate A lesson for those that state markets always recover - yes they probably do but maybe not in one's life time!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikkei_225
'The average hit its all-time high on December 29, 1989, during the peak of the Japanese asset price bubble, when it reached an intra-day high of 38,957.44 before closing at 38,915.87, having grown sixfold during the decade.'