Edward Elgar Publishing Evolution of the Economic System in Japan

The economic system of 'high-growth-period' Japan was characterized by various properties such as its unique banking system, industrial policy and lifetime employment. Juro Teranishi argues that since the 'bubble period' and the subsequent severe downturn of the economy during the 1990s, Japan's economic system has been undergoing extensive changes. This book is informed by a historical evaluation of the 'high-growth-period' economic system in comparison with the preceding Meiji-Taishô economic system, set within a framework incorporating the role of the government and the private sector economic system as well as the government-private sector interface. Factors are identified that determined the emergence of the Japanese economic system, and the nature of, and reasons for, its transformation. Juro Teranishi reveals how the 'high-growth-period' economic system emerged because of the failure of the Meiji-Taishô economic system to adapt to changes in exogenous conditions, and that it is now obliged to change in order to accommodate those changes that took place during the 1990s. The book also includes a valuable evaluation of the performance of the Japanese economic system in terms of not only the growth of GDP, but also income distribution. Juro Teranishi's book will appeal to scholars and students of the Japanese economy, institutional and financial economics, and corporate governance.