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Among the many books on why some nations prosper better than others, this is the first such focusing this theme on Japan in many years. And it is the first in English to show how a revival of Japan's past entrepreneurship will promote broader economic recovery, and written in a lively style, this book will appeal to laypersons, scholars, businesspeople, and policymakers alike. Adding to the appeal is that the book demonstrates how current trends give Japan its best opportunity for recovery in a generation. At the same time, its discussion of the forces opposing an entrepreneurial revival adds both realism and drama. There truly is a contest of forces for control of Japan's economic future. On top of that, the book will attract those interested in broader themes ranging from generational attitudes and gender relations to culture and technology.
List of contents
- Introduction
- Part I: Rise and Fall of Japanese Entrepreneurship
- Chapter 1: Entrepreneurship: From Effervescence to Rigidity
- Chapter 2: Analog Mindset in a Digital World
- Part II: Japan's Recover Requires More Gazelles
- Chapter 3: The Need for a Productive Revolution
- Chapter 4: Big Company Disease: They Can't See the Gorilla
- Chapter 5: Gazelles-A Keystone Species For Productivity
- Chapter 6: Abenomics: A Tale of Lost Opportunities
- Part III: Who Becomes an Entrepreneur?
- Chapter 7: Risk-Averse Culture or Risk vs Reward?
- Chapter 8: Who Doesn't Get to Become an Entrepreneur?
- Chapter 9: Corporate Intrapreneurship Breeds Entrepreneurs
- Chapter 10: Universities as Entrepreneurial Communities
- Part IV: Overcoming the Barriers to Gazelles' Growth
- Chapter 11: Overcoming the Recruitment Obstacle
- Chapter 12: Overcoming the Digital Divide and RandD Gap
- Chapter 13: Finance for New Firms
- Chapter 14: The Butterfly Effect in Finding Customers
- Chapter 15: The Importance of Being Global
- Part V: The Politics of Reform
- Chapter 16: The Values of Japan's Postwar Political Economy
- Chapter 17: Flexicurity: A Third Way
- Chapter 18: A Political Scenario for Successful Reform
- Chapter 19: Japan Can Do it, But Will it?
- Acknowledgments
About the author
Richard Katz is a Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Council for Ethics In International Affairs, as well as a Special Correspondent for Weekly Toyo Keizai. The Contest For Japan's Economic Future is his third book and, like his first two, will also be published in Japanese. His two previous books were Japan: The System That Soured--The Rise and Fall of the Japanese Economic Miracle (1998) and Japanese Phoenix: The Long Road to Economic Revival (2003).
For two decades, he published a monthly newsletter on Japan called "The Oriental Economist Report." Now he publishes a free blog called "Japan Economy Watch." His essays and opeds have been published in Foreign Affairs, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, and The International Economy. He's testified several times to Congressional committees.
He also taught about Japan's economy as an adjunct lecturer at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and at New York University. He
received his M.A. in Economics from New York University in 1996
Summary
Just as a wave of entrepreneurship created Japan's postwar "economic miracle," so it will take a new generation of entrepreneurs to revive its stagnant economy. A complex distribution system dominated by the incumbents has made it hard for newcomers even to get their products on store shelves.
Fortunately, major social changes are now opening new opportunities. Generational changes in attitudes about work and gender relations are leading more and more talented people to the new companies. This includes ambitious women who are regularly denied promotions at traditional companies. The rise of e-commerce is enabling tens of thousands of newcomers to bypass the traditional distribution system and sell their products to millions of customers. Three decades of low growth have convinced many within both the elites and the public of the need for change.
Still, progress remains an uphill climb because of resistance by powerful forces. Bank financing remains quite difficult. For example, the system of "lifetime employment" has made it very hard to newcomers to recruit the staff they need. Banks, who are often in the same sprawling conglomerates as the corporate giants, are still loath to lend to new companies. While parts of the government try to promote more startups, other parts resist making the needed changes in regulations, taxes, and budgets.
Japan's economic future will be determined by the contest detailed in this book.
Additional text
This work is highly recommended for students of international business and political science, especially those interested in how government policy influences economic revitalization….Highly recommended.
