While other industrialized and developing countries look towards Japan as an economic model, the political, cultural, and social arrangements that have so far allowed Japan to succeed are eroding. In particular, Japan faces a system of industrial relations that places great strain on all of Japanese society. In The Postwar Japanese System, William Tabb distinguishes between those aspects of Japanese success that can and cannot be transferred successfully to help in the revitalization of the American economy.
The author discusses Japanese economic history from before the Meiji Restoration to the present, and looks at Japanese politics, state-corporate relations, the labor relations system in Japan and the nature of work as experienced by Japanese employees. He examines the organization of the Japanese corporation versus the American corporation, industrial policy, education, urban and regional reorganization, and Japan's role in the world today (and tomorrow). And, Tabb thoughtfully explores the fundamental social, political, and economic transitions the Japanese are currently experiencing.
The Postwar Japanese System succeeds in placing the economic "miracle" in its proper social and political framework. A broad, intelligent overview of the Japanese political economy, the book suggests important implications for the United States in the story of Japan's prosperity and current distress. It will be a key resource for all those interested in Japanese society.
Industry Reviews
"I literally could not stop reading it....[Tabb] is making in this manuscript a very important contribution. This is one of the best books--by specialist or non-specialist--telling us what we can learn from Japan and why, and what price the Japanese are paying for their success. The author has a very broad and enviable command of literature in economics and sociology, and he deftly weaves his knowledge in analyzing what he sees in Japan and dissecting the
problems faced by both the United States and Japan. I can say that this is a well-thought out, well-crafted, and well-argued manuscript that should be read by many students and laymen interested in Japan
and by Americans who are concerned about their own political-economic future."--Kozo Yamamura, Job and Gertrud Tamaki Professor of Japanese Studies, University of Washington, and Associate Editor, Journal of Japanese Studies
"This long-needed book may help invigorate teaching about the post Cold War world in English-speaking universities. This is the first real text on the East Asian challenge to Western economic thinking."--The Review of Politics
"it [the book] offers an interesting sythesis of and insightful commentary on main themes in the literature to date."--Political Science Quarterly
"The Postwar Japanese System is an interesting and useful book. William Tabb handles the complexity of the subject well and provides the reader with many possible avenues for further thought and study."--Journal of Political Ecology
"I literally could not stop reading it....[Tabb] is making in this manuscript a very important contribution. This is one of the best books--by specialist or non-specialist--telling us what we can learn from Japan and why, and what price the Japanese are paying for their success. The author has a very broad and enviable command of literature in economics and sociology, and he deftly weaves his knowledge in analyzing what he sees in Japan and dissecting the
problems faced by both the United States and Japan. I can say that this is a well-thought out, well-crafted, and well-argued manuscript that should be read by many students and laymen interested in Japan
and by Americans who are concerned about their own political-economic future."--Kozo Yamamura, Job and Gertrud Tamaki Professor of Japanese Studies, University of Washington, and Associate Editor, Journal of Japanese Studies
"This long-needed book may help invigorate teaching about the post Cold War world in English-speaking universities. This is the first real text on the East Asian challenge to Western economic thinking."--The Review of Politics
"it [the book] offers an interesting sythesis of and insightful commentary on main themes in the literature to date."--Political Science Quarterly
"The Postwar Japanese System is an interesting and useful book. William Tabb handles the complexity of the subject well and provides the reader with many possible avenues for further thought and study."--Journal of Political Ecology
