Crisis and Opportunity in a Changing Japan

(Hardback)

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Description

The economic crisis of the 1990s has taken a toll on the mighty Japanese economic juggernaut. In the wake of the tumult, significant change is taking place in the public and private sectors of Japan. In 1990, Japan accounted for two-thirds of the entire Asian economy. By 1998, unemployment had reached an historic high, the stockmarket had plummeted, financial institutions were failing and bankruptcies were a daily occurrence. William Farrell analyzes the turmoil in the political, bureaucratic and business areas in Japan and offers an overview of opportunities and strategies now open to US business. The issues confronting US firms in the Japanese market are complex. This book allows the reader to comprehend those issues and the monumental changes that are taking place in one of the world's largest economies. The work includes a comprehensive chronology of key events from 1994 to the present. The connections between Japanese business and government are shown in graphic form, as are key players in Japan. The history of the Japanese economy is revealed with a look at the inner working of the nation's most influential organizations. The differences between US and Japanese leadership and decision-making styles are explained. After reviewing and analyzing the points made throughout the book, the concluding chapter discusses how one becomes a participant in the process and identifies emerging opportunities. As a practical compendium of useful information for the end of the 20th century, this book aims to cut through the fog of myth, false predictions of doom, and the complexity of the Japanese bureaucracy and should be a useful resource for business people, policy makers and academics.

Reviews

"As a foreign businessman running a company in Japan, I find this to be a very useful book that helps my understanding of how the Japanese system works and what I need to do to effectively navigate this system. I refer to this book frequently and have made sure my colleagues who are working for me in Japan have read it as well. This book is an invaluable tool for any foreign businessman who has significant business interests in Japan."-Roger T. Servison Chairman Fidelity Investments Japan
"As a former trade negotiator and businessman, I found Farrell's book full of insight into both the public and private decision making in Japan. Understanding the complex web of relationships, in what some have called a 'tribal society, ' is vital for business success. Farrell provides us the roadmap that helps navigate this complex maze. It is required reading for those new to the Japanese market as well as informative for veterans who have been there for years."-Ira Wolf Former Assistant United States Trade Representative for Japan and China
"Farrell's insightful analysis coupled with clear illustrations are a must read for business people and policymakers alike."-Marjory E. Searing Deputy Assistant Secretary for Asia and the Pacific United States Department of Commerce
"From 1990 through 1995, as Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan, Bill Farrell was at the vortex of U.S.-Japan relations. A wise and seasoned observer, he gives a nuanced, persuasive answer to the question, "What went wrong with Japan in the 1990s" Farrell demonstrates why it is unwise to neglect the world's second biggest market. Highly recommended for those who are serious about understanding Japan and taking advantage of the profitable opportunities there."-Ezra F. Vogel Director of the Asia Center at Harvard Author of Japan as #1
"I have never read a book written by a foreigner with such deep analysis and insight concerning Japanese society. Bill Farrell's work provides an excellent analysis of the complex world of business and politics. His strategy of identifying internal pressure for change and molding it with external pressure (gaiatsu) is very interesting. Japanese readers would greatly benefit from Farrell's book, realizing how thoughtful foreigners view their nation and policies. I strongly recommend that people doing business in Japan read this book!"-Hirotsugu Koike Foreign News Editor NIKKEI Shimbun
[T]he timing of Bill Farrell's new book, "Crisis and Opportunity in a Changing Japan" [is] damned near perfect. [A]nyone with a yen to make some yen will want to pick it up. It should be required reading for anyone contemplating a venture in Japan.-J@pan Inc Online magazine
Bill Farrell, a consultant and former executive director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan, offers indispensable assistance with Crisis and Opportunity in a Changing Japan.-The Japan Times
If you are in business in Japan, stop whatever you're doing and purchase this book. Crisis and Opportunity in a Changing Japan may well become your operating manual for success in this marketplace....Combining a scholar's discipline with the no-nonsense attitude of an actual businessman on the ground making daily decisions, he presents a clear, concise, treatise on the subject of successfully taking advantage of real-world circumstances in this country....Buy the book.-Tokyo Weekender
"The timing of Bill Farrell's new book, "Crisis and Opportunity in a Changing Japan" is damned near perfect. Anyone with a yen to make some yen will want to pick it up. It should be required reading for anyone contemplating a venture in Japan."-J@pan Inc Online magazine
"[T]he timing of Bill Farrell's new book, "Crisis and Opportunity in a Changing Japan" [is] damned near perfect. [A]nyone with a yen to make some yen will want to pick it up. It should be required reading for anyone contemplating a venture in Japan."-J@pan Inc Online magazine
"Bill Farrell, a consultant and former executive director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan, offers indispensable assistance with Crisis and Opportunity in a Changing Japan."-The Japan Times
"If you are in business in Japan, stop whatever you're doing and purchase this book. Crisis and Opportunity in a Changing Japan may well become your operating manual for success in this marketplace....Combining a scholar's discipline with the no-nonsense attitude of an actual businessman on the ground making daily decisions, he presents a clear, concise, treatise on the subject of successfully taking advantage of real-world circumstances in this country....Buy the book."-Tokyo Weekender

Author Bio

WILLIAM R. FARRELL is President and Chief Executive Officer of Dynamic Strategies/Asia, an internationally focused company providing timely, technologically enhanced information for its clients./e He has lived and worked in Japan repeatedly since 1969, serving most recently as the Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Tokyo. Farrell was an Advanced Research Fellow in the program on U.S.-Japanese relations at the Center for International Affairs, Harvard University. He also served as Professor of Management at the U.S. Naval War College.