Download or read book Japan in the 21st Century written by Pradyumna Karan and published by University Press of Kentucky. This book was released on 2010-09-12 with total page 414 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The ancient civilization of Japan, with its Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, is also closely associated with all that is new and modern. Looking outward, Japan sees what it has become since Hiroshima: the world’s second-largest economy, a source of fury and wonder, a power without arms. Looking inward, Japan sees old ways shaken and new ones developing at a hectic pace. Japan in the Twenty-first Century offers compelling insights into the current realities of the country and investigates the crucial political, economic, demographic, and environmental challenges that face the nation. A combination of text, maps, and photographs provides an essential understanding of Japan’s geography, cultural heritage, demography, economic and political development, and of many other important issues. Pradyumna P. Karan explores the obstacles and opportunities that will shape Japan and affect the world community in the coming years. He highlights strategies and policies that will facilitate economic and political change and stimulate the development of effective institutions for long-term, sustainable prosperity and economic vitality. Unique field reports drawn from direct observations of events and places in Japan illuminate Japanese traditions and sensibilities. The first full-length English-language textbook on Japan’s geography, culture, politics, and economy to appear in nearly four decades, Japan in the Twenty-first Century will be a vital resource for researchers, academics, general readers, and students of Japan. Pradyumna P. Karan, professor of geography and Japan studies at the University of Kentucky, is the author or editor of numerous books on Asian geography and culture, including The Japanese City and Japan in the Bluegrass.

Download or read book Japan a State Strategy for the Twenty first Century written by Yasuhiro Nakasone and published by Psychology Press. This book was released on 2002 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Yasuhiro Nakasone, one of the most highly regarded former prime ministers of Japan, considers what should be Japan's strategic direction in the 21st century, and argues for amendments to the constitution.

Download or read book 21st Century Japanese Management written by J. Abegglen and published by Springer. This book was released on 2006-03-13 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Japan's economy and businesses are entering this century with new management systems but their values unchanged. Drawing on the author's analysis of the 1950s, financial systems, personnel management methods, role of the corporation and R&D capabilities are re-assessed to provide a comprehensive analysis of Japan's financial and industrial changes.

Download or read book Japan Houses written by Marcia Iwatate and published by Tuttle Publishing. This book was released on 2012-05-01 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Japanese architecture and design book is a wonderful source of new styles and ideas for those looking to add a distinctively Zen flair to their home. Limited spaces, unlimited technology, a tradition of innovation, and sheer Japanese panache have combined to inspire the 26 stunning homes featured in Japan Houses. Conceived by 24 of Japan's leading architects and designers, each of the houses forecasts and defines a new trend in residential architecture, reinventing the meaning and use of space, material, and function. Traditional lifestyles are challenged, domestic functions such as cooking and entertaining are moved out of the house into the public domain, while laptops bring work back in. Zen minimalist is juxtaposed with comfortable opulence, time-honored workmanship is coupled with exciting new materials, resulting in a recognizable style that belongs to Japan, reflecting its culture and craftsmanship, while at the same time being avant-garde and international. The spirit of each of these astonishing houses is captured in beautiful photographs, plans and commentary.

Download or read book Japan s Shrinking Regions in the 21st Century written by Peter C. D. Matanle and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 530 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This book combines the work of 18 international scholars in the first comprehensive study of contemporary regional shrinkage under Japan's national depopulation. The contributions have been arranged thematically, and interspersed throughout the book are tables, charts, diagrams and photographs that visually augment and describe the processes and impacts of regional shrinkage. In this way the book stitches together a representative variety of detailed and richly textured examinations of shrinkage at the local level, out of which emerges the overall story of Japan's depopulation and its place within the trajectory of world development. The book shows that shrinkage has not been a uniform experience for regional communities, as some settlements have expanded and others close by have disintegrated. It also describes the differential processes of shrinkage taking place throughout Japan in the postwar era, as well as their characteristics, impacts and implications. From remote mountain villages to regional industrial centers, the authors analyze the responses that national, regional, local and individual actors have brought to bear on shrinkage, including the important roles that the state and municipal authorities, and the construction and tourism industries have played. Ominously, the authors demonstrate that depopulation is deepening and broadening to include larger and more densely populated settlements as the national population decline becomes more entrenched. The authors conclude by arguing that depopulation and socioeconomic decline may combine to induce individuals and groups to begin to rethink growth and to embrace a new way of life that prioritizes stability and, even, sustainability."--Publisher's description.

Download or read book The US Japan Alliance in the 21st Century written by Fumio Ota and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2021-11-22 with total page 181 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The year 2004 marked the 150th anniversary of the signing of the first treaty of peace and amity (Treaty of Kanagawa) between the United States and Japan. The author offers a significant Japanese view of the alliance, explores the history, but also poses the question what the relationship will be for the next fifty years.

Download or read book Choose and Focus written by Ulrike Schaede and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2011-01-15 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Between 2002 and 2008, Japan's economy saw constant expansion, a record among the world's advanced economies and Japan's longest period of economic growth since World War II. This remarkable achievement came about because of a transformation of Japanese business practices. This transformation was guided by strategies that enabled Japan's leading corporations, previously diversified to an exceptionally high degree, to become leaner, more nimble, and more competitive at home and in the global economy. In Choose and Focus, the first in-depth account of this strategic inflection point in Japanese business, Ulrike Schaede argues that the emerging practices and attitudes have created a New Japan. Drawing on profiles of several corporations, including Panasonic, Takeda and Astellas, Softbank, kakaku.com, and SBI E*Trade, Schaede explains how the fundamental principles of Japan's economy have been overturned. "Choose and focus" strategies, whereby corporations concentrate on core areas and spin off unrelated businesses, have completely altered the strategic logic of Japan's previous industrial architecture. These surprisingly aggressive moves, Schaede finds, have created new market opportunities for start-up enterprises and foreign investors, as well as a wave of mergers, acquisitions, and hostile takeovers that have shaken Japanese companies out of complacency. Unlike the advances made by Japanese firms in the 1970s and 1980s, the current transformation is taking root in component and materials industries rather than in consumer products. Because of the relative obscurity of the changes and the overshadowing story of China's ascent, the Japanese corporate revolution has gone largely unnoticed among Western observers. Choose and Focus is required reading for anyone doing business in Japan or trying to understand how contemporary Japanese business works and how Japanese corporations have reinvented themselves to face the challenges—and realize the opportunities—of the 21st century.

Download or read book Japan s Foreign Policy in the Twenty First Century written by Lam Peng Er and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2020-03-09 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This edited collection analyzes the innovative changes in Japan’s foreign policy. Pursuing new relationships with South Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe, Japanese initiatives include regional peace-building and human security activities, Asian multilateralism, and the Indo-Pacific concept. This collection focuses on these evolving international relationships through Japan’s unique approach to political change and continuity.

Download or read book Japanese Civilization in the 21st Century written by Andrew Targowski and published by Nova Science Publishers. This book was released on 2016 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a comprehensive synthesis of Japanese civilization in the 21st century. It covers all major elements of this civilization with a strong emphasis on how it can develop further in the future. All nations strive for prominence, but few reach it. Over the last 61 years (1965-2016), Japan has achieved this uncommon status. But, where is Japan heading in the 21st century? This question has been asked since the 1990s; Japan has been in a stagnant-deflation stage and has been looking for all sorts of solutions to return to the prosperous times reflecting Pax Niponnica in the 1970s and 1980s. The context of this situation and some recommendations for the future of Japanese culture are provided in this book. Nowadays, Japan is the third largest economy of the world, second only to China in the 2010s. Its economy performs at near zero growth, due primarily to its aging society, which is actually positive since the Japanese have the longest lifespan in the world today and slow growth does not unsustainably deplete resources and nature. Japans new purpose should be in the development of a sustainably wise civilization and its world-wide dissemination. Does Japanese civilization have a chance to trigger another reform and be successful again in the 21st century? This question has been pondered by several co-authors of the book. This monograph is written for those who are interested in the contemporary issues of the worlds globalization and the role of leading countries in this process. With this in mind, students, faculty, social and political activists from around the world should be interested in this book.

Download or read book China Japan Relations in the Twenty first Century written by Michael Heazle and published by Edward Elgar Publishing. This book was released on 2007-01-01 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines the often troubled relationship between Japan and China from a broad interdisciplinary perspective. Utilising the expertise of Chinese, Japanese and regional specialists working in a variety of fields, this original work approaches the contemporary sources of tensions between these two Asian giants from several levels of analysis. In particular the domestic-state interface in both countries and the important role of historical perceptions in the region are explored.

Download or read book China Japan Relations in the 21st Century written by Lam Peng Er and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-09-05 with total page 387 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This new collection examines the paradox of Sino-Japanese relations and the rising diplomatic antagonism between both countries despite deepening economic interdependency. Offering a unique perspective on the history of bilateral ties since diplomatic normalization in 1972, it considers the growing interdependency between China and Japan in bilateral trade, investment, tourism and education, as well as the question of nationalism and Sino-Japanese rivalry in multilateral settings such as in ASEAN processes, the Mekong Basin and the South China Sea. Focusing on the power transition in East Asia, the lack of a common enemy in the post-Cold War era, the clash of Chinese and Japanese nationalism, and a lack of trust, shared values and common identity between China and Japan, this collection addresses the origins of a troubled bilateral relationship which could impact on the stability and prosperity of East Asia.

Download or read book Japan s Quiet Transformation written by Jeff Kingston and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2004-08-02 with total page 375 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 1990s have been termed as 'Japan's lost decade' to describe how the phenomenal growth in the Japanese economy ground to a halt and the country was crippled by enormous and ongoing political, economic and social problems. In responding to these unprecedented difficulties, wide-ranging reforms have been adopted including NPO, information disclosure and judicial reform legislation. Controversially, this book argues that such reforms are creating a more robust civil society and demonstrate that Japan is far more dynamic than is generally recognized.

Download or read book Escaping Japan written by Blai Guarné and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-10-12 with total page 423 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The idea that Japan is a socially homogenous, uniform society has been increasingly challenged in recent years. This book takes the resulting view further by highlighting how Japan, far from singular or monolithic, is socially and culturally complex. It engages with particular life situations, exploring the extent to which personal experiences and lifestyle choices influence this contemporary multifaceted nation-state. Adopting a theoretically engaged ethnographic approach, and considering a range of "escapes" both physical and metaphorical, this book provides a rich picture of the fusions and fissures that comprise Japan and Japaneseness today.

Download or read book Modern Japan A Very Short Introduction written by Christopher Goto-Jones and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2009-04-23 with total page 177 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Japan is arguably today's most successful industrial economy, combining almost unprecedented affluence with social stability and apparent harmony. Japanese goods and cultural products are consumed all over the world, ranging from animated movies and computer games all the way through to cars, semiconductors, and management techniques. In many ways, Japan is an icon of the modern world, and yet it remains something of an enigma to many, who see it as a confusing montage of the alien and the familiar, the ancient and modern. The aim of this Very Short Introduction is to explode the myths and explore the reality of modern Japan - by taking a concise look at its history, economy, politics, and culture. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Download or read book 21st Century Innovation Systems for Japan and the United States written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2009-05-15 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Recognizing that a capacity to innovate and commercialize new high-technology products is increasingly a key for the economic growth in the environment of tighter environmental and resource constraints, governments around the world have taken active steps to strengthen their national innovation systems. These steps underscore the belief of these governments that the rising costs and risks associated with new potentially high-payoff technologies, their spillover or externality-generating effects and the growing global competition, require national R&D programs to support the innovations by new and existing high-technology firms within their borders. The National Research Council's Board on Science, Technology, and Economic Policy (STEP) has embarked on a study of selected foreign innovation programs in comparison with major U.S. programs. The "21st Century Innovation Systems for the United States and Japan: Lessons from a Decade of Change" symposium reviewed government programs and initiatives to support the development of small- and medium-sized enterprises, government-university- industry collaboration and consortia, and the impact of the intellectual property regime on innovation. This book brings together the papers presented at the conference and provides a historical context of the issues discussed at the symposium.

Download or read book 21st Century Tokyo written by Julian Worrall and published by National Geographic Books. This book was released on 2010-05-01 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tokyo has earned a reputation as one of the most innovative and forward-thinking cities in the world, and nowhere is this more evident than in its modern architecture. Authors and architects Julian Worrall and Erez Golani Solomon, longtime residents of the city, have selected 83 outstanding examples of contemporary architecture, and introduce them, not just from an architectural perspective, but as part of the social, cultural, and political tapestry of the city. In addition to the monumental masterpieces of famous architects, "generic" buildings—from office blocks and convenience stores, to high-rise apartment towers—are also sprinkled throughout the book, creating a full and fascinating overview of the architectural landscape of the city. Each of the book's seven chapters covers a different geographical district of Tokyo; and each building is accompanied by a selection of stunning black-and-white photographs. Written in an accessible, conversational style, and including maps and access information for each building, this book will appeal to the layman as well as to the professional architect, the visitor to Tokyo as well as to the armchair traveler.

Download or read book Restructuring the Economy of the 21st Century in Japan and Germany written by Franz Schober and published by Duncker & Humblot. This book was released on 2015 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book contains the revised and updated versions of twelve papers which were presented at the 17th joint seminar of the faculties of economics of the Universities of Nagoya and Freiburg. The seminar took place in 1997 in Nagoya and marked the 25th anniversary of the cooperation between both faculties. The subjects of the book concentrate on long-term economic and business issues common to Japan and Germany on the turn of our century.Firstly, both countries experience continuing and interrelated problems in the labor market, budget deficits, demographic changes and the future of the social security system. Secondly, globalization, technical progress and shift of social values lead to structural changes of the economy and its institutions, particularly to deregulations and network economies. As a consequence, new ways of cooperation between firms, customers and suppliers will be established. Thirdly, the network economy changes also the inner structure and management of the companies in both countries including new organizational patterns such as the holding company or the virtual enterprise, the tight cooperation of small and medium-sized companies, human resource management and compensation.Although the broad issues in both countries - as in other mature economies - are essentially the same, the details under the surface are different and therefore ask for different solutions. The identification of these similarities and differences by theoretical and empirical methods constituted a key objective of the seminar, as well as of previous seminars.