Japan: Who Governs?: The Rise of the Developmental State

Japan is the richest economy in terms of per capita income. Its households save nearly 20 per cent of their disposable income, and its pension and health systems are efficient and inexpensive; in addition, its unemployment rate is a fraction of that in Europe. This study examines the reasons for this success, explaining that they lie, according to the author, in Japan’s remarkable capitalist development state. He also predicts that, precisely because it is planned, this system will thrive as it moves from a producer-dominated to a consumer-oriented society.