Systemic Changes in the German and Japanese Economies: Convergence and Differentiation as a Dual Challenge

The Japanese economy is undergoing a significant systemic change. Economic globalization is usually considered to push Japan forward converging on international best-practice principles, often associated with Anglo-American institutional models. But economies must also distinguish themselves to stay competitive, and they move along historical paths with peculiar properties. The book discusses the challenges from theoretical, empirical and policy perspectives, with contributions from leading Japanese and western scholars.

Werner Pascha is Professor of East Asian Economic Studies and Deputy Director of the Institute of East Asian Studies, Duisburg University, Germany.