The Tradition of Change in Japan

Abstract

Japan's slow growth in the 1990s has raised concerns that Japanese political and economic institutions are not responding effectively to domestic problems and increased global competition. But Japan's stagnant macroeconomic performance masks structural changes and economic reforms now underway. These changes are gradually transforming Japanese institutions from their traditional role as supports for catch-up growth to the needs of a mature economy. This paper is the introduction to a forthcoming volume that takes a forward-looking view at important trends for the coming decade and their implications for Japan, its markets and its relationship with the world.Japan, institutions, structural change