Japans Financial Liberalization

Japan has become the world's second largest economy and the number one exporter of financial capital. Tokyo has taken its place as a first-tier financial centre alongside London and New York. This study analyses the far-reaching effects of these developments on both Japan and the world capital markets.

The analysis shows how financial development has occurred in two distinct phases. Initially, interest rates were regulated to remain below market levels, entry of new financial institutions was restricted, financial markets were segmented, and domestic finance was insulated from world financial markets. The second phase has seen a steady, if sometimes slow, removal of these restrictions.

In order to affirm its status as an "advanced industrial nation," Japan has formally adopted a sweeping program of liberalization in its own trade and payments. In practice, however, this program is subject to various limitations; to a considerable extent the apparently smooth implementation of the liberalization program may be attributed to the system of informal “administrative guidance” by which conflicts have been adjusted and symptoms of economic instability partly suppressed. Professor Hellerman analyzes the interrelations between changes in the structure of Japan's industrial production and the structure of its foreign trade. Applying the theory of industrial organization at the international level, he proceeds from the examination of structure to an evaluation of performance and public policy in Japan’s external economic affairs. Originally published in 1967. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Two powers in East Asia today stand to define the region's economic and commercial future: Japan, which rose in a spectacular industrial burst to become at present the world's second largest economy; and China, which is rapidly advancing towards a market economy under the watchful eye of the world. While much has been made of Japan and China’s particular economic institutions and developmental paths, few works analyze them in a comparative framework. Including contributions from leading academics, the text focuses on the period from the 1980s to the onset of the 2000s, reviewing the experiences of Japan and China across the areas of development, trade, investment, finance and technology. Drawing on a combination of official documents, economic statistics, case studies and original fieldwork, this book will give political scientists, political economists, business concerns, and policy analysts a firmer grasp of the role Japan and China stand to play in the world political economy.

Japan experienced a remarkable growth in international finance, through a series of liberalization measures in the 1980s. However, her position in the global financial system is still limited, as the reserve currency share of yen illustrates. Why does such a contrast exist? Historical comparison with Britain and the United States as well as extensive data provide a key to answer the question.

This text provides a detailed analysis of the post-war evolution of financial markets and financial regulation in Japan, paying special attention to the period since 1975.