The Economic Development of Japan

Japan is the first non-Western country that has joined the ranks of advanced countries and has become the second largest market economy. But despite its superpower status, how Japan's economy functions often baffles outsiders, tending to aggravate economic conflicts involving Japan. This book is an introduction to the Japanese economy given in terms readily understandable to non-Japanese readers who have a basic knowledge of economics. In the first part Japan's economic history is traced from 1600, when the country was nationally unified, to the present day, so as to put the contemporary economic system in an historical perspective. The second part covers various important aspects of the economy, focusing on market mechanisms and the domestic and international problems which Japan currently faces.