Rethinking Japanese Economic Policy at the Turn of the 21st Century

This book, focusing ontheJapaneseeconomy mainly fromthe1990s tothe2010s, examinestheJapaneseindustrial and fiscal-monetarypoliciesand evaluates its achievements and limits from a historical perspective. Althoughtheperiod that was also referred to asthe"lost decade (or two, three decades)" was marked by variouspolicydiscussions,there are still few studies that summarizethem as a history. Another unique featureofthis publication is that it includesthecontributions not only from researchers, but also from those who are/were in a position close tothepolicymakers. By rethinking this era, manyJapanesenot just researchers andpolicymakers will be motivated to move toward a new era. Manyofthechapters inthebook are based ontheprimary sources not found elsewhere, includingtheinterviews withpolicymakers and collectionofpolicydocuments, in addition totheauthors' own analysis, views, and findings.Theyattempt to describepolicymakers' struggles to exit fromthelong-term recession afterthecollapseofthebubble economy, seeking to get back onthetrajectory foreconomicgrowth.Thereaders will gain new factual perceptions and discoveries fromthese historical contexts.Theissues presented in this book will also contribute totheinternational understandingofpolicyefforts in Japan, which is facing a frontier with high uncertainty. Japan's experience and its challenges are common in many aspects to developed countries now and inthefuture.