Not in particular

N.I.P.

C3N14

Highly interactive. One must make quite a few presentations.

Japanese politics, Japanese economy, Japanese history, Post war Japan

taniguchi@sdm.keio.ac.jp

nonexistent

For the spring 2018 semester, the course -- Development of Japan's Politico-Economic Systems -- will look primarily at the country's recent economic development, with occasional emphases given to the close interplay between the nation's politics and economy.


The course is aimed at equipping the participants with knowledge pertinent not only to Japan but also to grasping political economic development to be found across the developed world.


Central to our concern should always be to understand what goes on in Japan at PRESENT by learning more of its PAST.


The course is designed especially to cater to the SDMers, either from within Japan or without, who seek to deepen knowledge on systems design, systems engineering and/or systems approach. It is open, though, to whoever interested in the subject from across the Keio campi. Should you wish to participate in the class, contact first the administration of the Hiyoshi-based Keio University Graduate School of System Design and Management (SDM) to obtain a card key, without which you could not enter the classroom.


The knowledge on Japanese history certainly helps, but no particular cognizance either about Japanese political economy or more generally about politics or economics is required. The only prerequisite is that you remain academically broad-minded and curious.


As for the language, English will be used throughout, from class discussions, reading materials to presentations. Native Japanese speakers should encourage themselves to always speak not even a word in their mother tongue.


The instructor, Professor TANIGUCHI, Tomohiko, is a tenured member of the faculty of Keio SDM. He is also an acting practitioner who has worked with Prime Minister Shinz? Abe for more than five consecutive years, crafting key strategic messages for the PM to deliver to foreign audiences. If you are curious about the nation's diplomacy, foreign policy, national security discussions and how they are related to the country's economic constraints, PARTICULLARLY IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES, this course is designed to cater to your academic interests. Note, though, that for this semester his focus will be more on economics. Note also, that the members of the class should follow the instructions to be given when need be as regards outward disclosure of information that is to be deemed sensitive. Given the sensitivity no video learning ("e-learning") arrangement will be provided. That is also because we value members' proactive contributions to the class discussions most highly as below.

Facebook: Apart from your feedback, which you will use Keio SDM e-learning site to send to your instructor, urgent notices and lively exchanges of views and thoughts will be sent back and forth using our facebook timeline pages, to be launched at the beginning of the course. Joining the group is mandatory. You are requested to send your e-mail account, with which you log on to facebook, to your instructor so that you will be invited to the group.


Class Structure: For each meeting there will be reading assignment that is normally a journal paper or two of modest length. The total number of the papers the class MUST read amounts to 24 as shown below. At each meeting you are strongly urged to volunteer to be a lead reader (or a duo of lead readers) to introduce the gist of the argument of the assigned paper to the class while provoking discussions pertinent to the paper. The instructor will use scarcely any slide presentations. This is for him to invite more interventions from the class.


Changes to the Calendar: They are NOT INFREQUENT, for your instructor often accompanies Prime Minister Abe for his journeys abroad. To substitute the cancelled meetings you are more often than not requested to come not at 10:45 a.m. but at 9:00. We will then have three-straight-hour meetings. Notices of the changes will be pronounced both on our facebook pages and from the school's administration.

Text materials to be used:

[1] Antonin Bergeaud, Gilbert Cette and Remy Lecat, Productivity Trends from 1890 to 2012 in Advanced Countries (Downloadable at https://publications.banque-france.fr/sites/default/files/medias/documents/working-paper_475_2014.pdf)

[2] Lawrence Summers, Reflections on the new 'Secular Stagnation hypothesis' (Downloadable at https://voxeu.org/print/58186)

[3] Boris Groysberg, et. al., Womenomics in Japan, a Harvard Business School Case Study, for which one is requested to pay 400 Japanese yen.

[4] HARA, Hiromi, Glass Ceilings or Sticky Floors?: An analysis of the gender wage gap across the wage distribution in Japan (Downloadable at https://www.rieti.go.jp/jp/publications/dp/16e099.pdf)

[5] Betsey Stevenson, How Family, Culture, and Law Shape Women's Labor Force (A slide presentation downloadable at http://www.esri.go.jp/jp/workshop/170801/esri2017_third_presenter_slides.pdf)

[6] ABE Masayoshi, Female Labor Supply -- Short-run and Long-run Trade-offs (Downloadable at http://www.esri.go.jp/jp/workshop/150731/Session3_abe.pdf)

[7] Katharine G. Abraham, Comments on “Female Labor Supply: Short-run and Long-run Tradeoffs,” by Masahiro Abe (Downloadable at http://www.esri.go.jp/jp/workshop/150731/Session3_Abraham.pdf)

[8] Eric D. Ramstetter, Experiences with Foreign Workers in Singapore and Malaysia: What are the Lessons for Japan's Labor Markets? (To obtain the paper one first logs on to Keio.jp "E-Journals/Databases." One then reaches KOSMOS page by choosing "E-Journals." At the KOSMOS site, click the tab "Article (CiNii)" and search for either the title of the article or the author's name to reach the one shown above. Click "Fulltext to CiNii," and on the next page click "IR" button coloured in beige.

[9] FUKETA, Toyoshi, Chairman, Nuclear Regulation Authority, Lessons o?Learned from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Accident regarding Safety Culture of Regulatory Body (A presentation downloadable at http://www.nsr.go.jp/data/000179643.pdf)

[10] Andrew Mitchell, Political legitimacy in Japan: a Luhmannian perspective (Downloadable at https://papiro.unizar.es/ojs/index.php/rc51-jos/article/view/1446)

[11] Japan's Cabinet, Cabinet Decision dated June 9, 2017, Basic Policy on Economic and Fiscal Management and Reform 2017 (Downloadable at http://www5.cao.go.jp/keizai-shimon/kaigi/cabinet/2017/2017_basicpolicies_en.pdf)

[12] Jeffrey D. Sachs, Japan’s Growth Based on International Sustainable Development (A presentation downloadable at http://www.esri.go.jp/jp/workshop/150731/Session2_sachs.pdf)

[13] Andrew B. Bernard, Andreas Moxnes and Saito Yukiko Umeno, Geography and Firm Performance in the Japanese Production Network (Downloadable at https://www.rieti.go.jp/jp/publications/dp/14e034.pdf)

[14] INOKI, Takenori, "The Military and Industry," Chapter 3, Human Resource Development in Twentieth-Century Japan (Tokyo, Japan: Japan Publishing Industry Foundation for Culture, 2017) pp. 83-105

[15] YOSHIOKA, Shinji and KAWASAKI, Hirofumi, Japan’s High-Growth Postwar Period: The Role of Economic Plans (Downloadable at http://www.esri.go.jp/jp/archive/e_rnote/e_rnote030/e_rnote027.pdf)

[16] Jean‐Pascal Bassino, Stephen N Broadberry, et.al., JAPAN and the Great Divergence, 725‐1874 (Downloadable at https://www.economics.ox.ac.uk/materials/working_papers/2840/156aprilbroadberry.pdf) A relevant article is available at https://voxeu.org/article/european-and-asian-incomes-1914-new-take-great-divergence

[17] R. Bonfatti and Kevin Hjortshoj O’Rourke, Growth, Import Dependence and War (Downloadable at https://www.economics.ox.ac.uk/materials/papers/13387/bonfatti-orourke-working-paper.pdf) Its descriptive, cut-down version is also available at https://voxeu.org/article/growth-import-dependence-and-war

[18] OKAZAKI, Tetsuji, Development State Evolving: Japan's Graduation from a Middle Income Country (Downloadable at http://www.cirje.e.u-tokyo.ac.jp/research/dp/2017/2017cf1063.pdf)

[19] OHNO Kenichi, "The Industrialization and Global Integration of Meiji Japan" (A book chapter to be found at http://www.grips.ac.jp/vietnam/KOarchives/download_E_annex.htm)

[20] TANAKA, Akihiko, "Abe's Come-back," Chapter 11 of Japan in Asia: Post-Cold-War Diplomacy ((Tokyo, Japan: Japan Publishing Industry Foundation for Culture, 2017) pp. 305-343

[21] Hitachi, "Society 5.0: Aiming for a New Human-centered Society" (Downloadable at http://www.hitachi.com/rev/archive/2017/r2017_06/pdf/p08-13_TRENDS.pdf)

[22] Japanese Government, Realizing Society 5.0 (Downloadable at https://www.japan.go.jp/abenomics/_userdata/abenomics/pdf/society_5.0.pdf)

[23] "From Industry 4.0 to Society 5.0: the big societal transformation plan of Japan" (Downloadable at https://www.i-scoop.eu/industry-4-0-society-5-0/)

[24] Cabinet Office, Society 5.0 (Downloadable at http://www8.cao.go.jp/cstp/english/society5_0/index.html)

A non-negotiable principle of "three strikes and you're out" holds, that is to say, if you are absent from our weekly class meetings, excepting the first introductory session, for a total of three times, you are automatically going to be given NO credit. Again, be reminded that it is non-negotiable. The class proceeds in a manner that is highly interactive, which is the reason why the second principle, again non-negotiable, also holds, that is that you are urged to "speak out or go out." There will be no place in our meetings for a shy, silent, "lurker."


There will be plenty of opportunities for you to make presentations, but no requirement for a mandatory paper, mid-term, or end-of-the-term. Instead, it is required that you send your feedback and/or takeaways to the instructor, via the Keio SDM e-learning site, within twelve hours from the end of each meeting, to which your instructor will write back.


What grade you will obtain at the end of the semester hence depends on: 1) how actively you not only participated in but also led the class discussions; and 2) how rich your feedback was, with weight of 70% and 30% each given to the two above.

Course materials provided are for your own personal use only, and never transferable.

e-learningを開講しない

No.1 2018/04/10 Introduction (By TANIGUCHI, Tomohiko (hereafter TT))
The class will know in-depth of who the instructor is about. He will briefly speak on what he does with Shinzo ABE, Japanese Prime Minister, and at his office. The class will then discuss, in no Japan-specific way, what brings about economic growth and how one could engineer, if possible, growth by reading [1]. It is hence required that you join our first meeting after having read the aforementioned paper [1], as well as Larry Summers' short essay of [2], which is about how economy stagnates. We aim at putting Japanese economy, and the difficulties it is faced with, into the internationally comparative perspective.



No.2 2018/04/17 Womenomics debate (By TT)
For this second session we will need two individuals, or two duos, who will read papers of [3] and [4]. The latter ([4]) being an econometric study, to highlight its gist and policy implications would suffice. The former on "Abenomics plus womenomics" is a paper that is more comprehensive and worthier to read carefully for you to see where Japan's economy stands now. This will be a session for us to contemplate what more should be done to boost the country's gender equality, and in the long run, labour productivity. On this point some might wish to introduce preceding experiences found in the U.S. by giving a look at the slides presented at a Japanese Government hosted seminar [5], while yet others may wish to introduce the arguments put forth by a paper and its commentary of [6] and [7]

No.3 2018/04/24 Why not open up the country more toward immigrants? (By TT)
The third session will deal with the question that often recurs. A volunteer lead-reader will address the points raised by a paper [8] to stimulate class discussions as to Japan's immigration policy, or more precisely, the conspicuous absence thereof.

No.4 2018/05/01 Discussing Fukushima (By TT)
Why the preventable disaster nonetheless happened? It is a question that will remain challenging for policy planners. Do you think, had you been in charge, you could have avoided the meltdown? Let us discuss those points by taking a look, again guided by a lead volunteer, at [9]

No.5 2018/05/08 Politics behind Economics (By TT)
This session will look into today's Japanese political environment, a backdrop against which economic policy decisions are being undertaken. The class will read for that purpose another paper [10], guided by a volunteer lead-reader.

No.6 2018/05/15 What if you were in charge of managing Japanese economy? (By TT)
This particular session begins at 9:00 a.m. to end at 12:15. To take part in the combined meeting, it is required that you read the following two, one admittedly boring and another amazingly inspiring, of [11] and [12]. Having equipped yourself with up-to-date knowledge on how Japan's economy is performing and what the country's policy moulders wish to do to move it forward, two to three policy proposals, made prior to the meeting by volunteers, will be debated. This will be a thought drill for you to mock-manage Japanese politics and economy.

For the next couple of meetings the class will focus on the country's human resources, ultimate driving force for Japan's growth, as well as the historical backdrop, against which one should grasp why in Japan what has come out in such a way as it has.

No.7 2018/05/15 Same as above (By TT)
Same as above

No.8 2018/05/22 Quintessentially Japanese? (By TT)
How Shinkansen was built to whose merit: Your instructor presented a keynote opening speech at the 27th INCOSE International Symposium (Adelaide, Australia, July 2017). He will reproduce at the class the presentation he made at the gathering of the International Council on Systems Engineering. Though it is not a required but a suggested reading material, some may wish to volunteer to walk the class about the paper [13] that looked into the three most important elements of firm performance, which are location, location, and location.


No.9 2018/05/29 Human Capital behind Shinkansen (By TT)
For the eighth meeting the class will read a chapter from Inoki's book [14] to see that the pre-war and wartime legacy had been in place as a human capital foundation before technological innovations took root, post-war.

No.10 2018/06/05 Bureaucrats or entrepreneurs... or perhaps both? (By TT)
We are going to run quickly through the country's post-war economic development by focusing on a number of plans elaborately put together by the systems designers. Those plans may have been well crafted, whether they were indeed effective is a different question. A volunteer will lead-read a paper [15]. This will give us a basis on which we will learn more about the country's past in the subsequent session.

No.11 2018/06/12 Meiji at 150 (By TT)
This particular session begins at 9:00 a.m. to end at 12:15. In part because the year 2018 marks the 150th anniversary since the first year of Meiji, the era when Japan took off for modernization, we will be looking at the country's past, back to pre-modern, or even to medieval times. Two to three lead-presenters (or two to three duos of presenters) will choose one each from among the papers of [16], [17], [18] and [19] to provoke lively class discussions.



No.12 2018/06/12 Same as above (By TT)
Same as above

No.13 2018/06/19 Back again to the future (By TT)
For the thirteenth meeting we are going to brush up our knowledge on what significance "Abe's Come-back" has had to date by reading the so-named chapter of TANAKA's book [20]

No.14 2018/06/26 What is Society 5.0? (By TT)
This particular session begins at 9:00 a.m. to end at 12:15. Our final meeting that will last for three straight hours will first look at the Japanese government's latest industrial policy, which is called (to usher in the) Society 5.0. While there is no comprehensive, one-size-fits-all, paper available, our last volunteer lead-reader (s) will guide us to better understand the concept by reading materials of [21], [22], [23] and [24].

The remainder of the meeting will be spent for the instructor to answer questions from the class.

No.15 2018/06/26 Same as above (By TT)
Same as above

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