cheapening the currency doesn't work

http://asia.nikkei.com/Politics-Economy/Economy/Japan-logs-26th-straight-trade-deficit-in-Aug

There you go. Who still buy into the idea that a cheap currency is good for trade?
As I've explained numerous times, a cheap currency ultimately transfers purchasing power from your importers and the general population to your exporters. A few exporters benefit at the expense of the rest of the population.

Trade is about trying to export less and import more. You want to work less in exchange for more stuff from other nations. To cheapen your currency just to be able to export more does not make any sense, except to the mainstream analysts and economists. It means you have to work more in exchange for less, because now your imports become more expensive!

That's the idea. Some people will dismiss it as a mere 'theory'. Well fine. Show me an example in history when cheapening your currency has been good for the economy overall.