Saturday, July 20, 2013

Can Japan Grow Again?

I'm here in Japan this week teaching an executive education program at the Nomura School of Advanced Management - something that I have done annually for the past 10 years.    Over the next week, I'll have a few blogs pertaining to interesting Japanese companies who compete in the US market. 

Today is actually election day here in Japan.   The country appears poised to support Prime Minister Abe's "three arrows" strategy for lifting the country out of the economic doldrums in which it has been mired for the past two decades.  Many Americans may forget that Japan is the third largest economy in the world, partially because of the lack of growth.  Abe's fiscal and monetary policy stimuli have created a burst of recovery, but the third arrow will be crucial.  Can he push through structural reforms, deregulation, and policies that enhance opportunities for women in the workforce, particularly in executive roles?   If he succeeds, perhaps we will see renewed attention to the Japanese economy, just as it appears that the Chinese economy is slowing down. 


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