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

by Chalmers Johnson

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.

Genres: Japan, History, Nonfiction, Politics, Political Science

388 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Chalmers Ashby Johnson was an American author and professor emeritus of the University of California, San Diego. He fought in the Korean war, from 1967-1973 was a consultant for the CIA, and ran the Center for Chinese Studies at the University of California, Berkeley for years. He was also president and co-founder of the Japan Policy Research Institute, an organization promoting public education about Japan and Asia.

Reviews

[Yalin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Johnson's work is a great collection of essays on both the Japanese politics and economics and the state of US-Japan relations, with a view towards both the period up to 1995 and for the foreseeable future. There are a couple of things which keep me from giving this book full points. First, there is a significant degree of repetition along the essays since they have been mostly written in different times for different audiences, which have then been brought together. Second, Johnson is adamant in claiming that the bureaucracy runs Japan but his discussion feels less and exploration of their power at its roots and structures but more like a discussion of its examples. One might also point out - with hindsight - that Johnson completely disregards China when he talks about the future of the global order. However, given the post-Tiananmen conditions and his economists vision of China his disregard can be easily explained and should not be held against him, although a man of his caliber could have been expected to at the very least nod in this direction.

[Mills College Library]

338.952 J664 1995