Crisis and Opportunity in a Changing Japan

With the bursting of the econmic bubble in the early 1990's Japan's public and private sectors have undergone dramatic change. William Farrell analyzes the economic superpower's turmoil in the political, bureaucratic and business arenas and offers a candid look at opportunities and strategies now open to U.S. business in Japan. A practical compendium of useful and up-to-date information, this book cuts through the stereotypical fog and is a valuable resource for business people, policy makers, and academics.

Despite the recent economic crisis, Japan still accounts for two-thirds of the entire Asian economy. However, in 1998, unemployment reached an historic high, the stock market plummeted, financial institutions were failing, and bankruptcies were a daily occurrence. William Farrell analyzes the discord in the political, bureaucratic, and business arenas and offers a candid look at opportunities and strategies now open to U.S. business. This timely book allows the reader to comprehend and act upon these public and private sector changes taking place in one of the world's largest economies.

Former Vice President of the United States and Ambassador to Japan, Walter F. Mondale, provides a foreword. The book also includes a comprehensive chronology of key events from 1994 through to the present. The connections between Japanese business and government are shown in graphic form. The recent history of the Japanese economy is revealed with a fascinating look at the inner working of the nation's most influential organizations. Additionally, U.S. and Japanese leadership and decision-making styles are compared, and the myth of a never-changing Japan is challenged. After reviewing and analyzing these key issues, the concluding chapter discusses how one becomes a participant in the process and identifies emerging opportunities. As a practical resource of useful and current information, this book cuts through false predictions of doom and demystifies the complexity of the Japanese bureaucracy.