Author Description

Three phases of Japan’s postwar transition from the framework of this study. The first, which Leon Hollerman refers to as "Japan, Incorporated," focuses on Japan as a small nation following World War II. In this phase Japan practiced protectionism without censure or retaliation from the world community. Professor Hollerman describes the alliance between government and business for the promotion of mutual interests and the national interests of Japan. In the second phase, or "Japan, Disincorporated," Hollerman addresses Japan’s emergence as a major industrial nation in which economic liberalization was formally espoused. During this period the interests of business (especially big business) and the interests of government temporarily diverged. The third phase has not yet begun; Professor Hollerman analyzes a possible scenario following the 1980s and calls it "Japan, Reincorporated." In that scenario, government and business reach an accord by which the interests of the nation, of the bureaucracy, and of big business converge. This book focuses on the second phase, particularly on the years from 1980 to 1984, when bureaucratic infighting, interministerial rivalry, and conflict between government and business in Japan surged into view. Professor Hollerman’s lucid explanations of Japanese economic and national strategy make this volume essential reading for anyone interested in Japan’s challenge to U.S. bankers, investors, and leaders of transnational corporations.