Arthritic Japan: Explaining the Slow Pace of Economic Reform

Evening Lecture
6:30 – 8 pm

Read the Event Summary.

Speaker
Edward J. Lincoln, Senior fellow, Foreign Policy Studies, the Brookings Institution

In the late 1980s, Japan’s strong economic performance put it on the verge of becoming a major player in regional and global affairs. But nearly a decade of economic stagnation, a mountain of bad debts, and a continuing stream of scandals have tarnished Japan’s distinctive economic model. Nevertheless, Japan has been slow to embrace economic reform. Drawing on his latest book, Arthritic Japan: Explaining the Slow Pace of Economic Reform, Edward Lincoln analyzes why deregulation and other aspects of systemic economic reform have proceeded so sluggishly. He explores the causes of this weak response, discusses Prime Minister Koizumi’s chances of affecting real change and the impact further delay could have on Japan and the world economy.

Followed by a booksigning.