Japanese Research

Japan’s Economic Policy Uncertainty and Economic Recession

LIN Xiumei1,2,LI Qingzhao1

2018, 32(1): 1-10. DOI: 10.14156/j.cnki.rbwtyj.2018.01.001

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In this paper, we use the uncertainty index of Japanese economic policy issued by Baker et al to study the characteristics of Japanese economic policy uncertainty. The uncertainty of Japan’s economic policy has obvious “political parties”, which is closely related to the frequent political elections in Japan. In addition, the high uncertainty of Japan’s economic policy lasted for a long time. Based on the data after the Japanese bubble economy, we find that the uncertainty of economic policy has a significant negative impact on the final demand. Therefore, it is proved that the uncertainty of economic policy is an important driving force for the recession, which provides a new explanation for the long decline of the Japanese economy after the bursting of the bubble economy.

Japan’s Society 5.0 under the New Round of Technology and Industry Revolution：from the Perspective of Institutional Innovation and Strategic Improvement

FANG Xiaoxia, YANG Danhui，LI Xiaohua

2018, 32(1): 11-20. DOI: 10.14156/j.cnki.rbwtyj.2018.01.002

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With new round of scientific and technological revolution and the rise of industrial revolution, new industries and new business models continue to emerge, which provides important opportunities and challenges for Japan to take advantage of new technology to solve the problems in domestic economic and social development. From its strategic layout to cope with the new technological revolution and the new industrial revolution, we find that the effects of structural reforms in Japan over the past 20 years have been gradually released. Under the strategy of the socalled “super smart society” establishment, Japan’s institutional innovation mechanism is further focusing on more sustainable goals of industrial restructuring and social transformation, which shows a stronger policy synergy. The implication of Japan’s experience for China is that the Chinese government should increase input in science and technology innovation, industrial upgrading and social transformation so as to accelerate the achievement of the leapfrog development from “followers” to “leader”.

The Development Aid Under Japan’s ODAADB Framework and Its Implications：A Case from South Asia Area

ZHANG Lei ,CUI Yan

2018, 32(1): 21-29. DOI: 10.14156/j.cnki.rbwtyj.2018.01.003

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Japan is one of the important countries which participate in Official Development Assistance and is the real leader of Asian Development Bank. After half a century, Japan has already established a mature ODAADB Framework. Both as a donor country in the bilateral aid system and a leader in the multilateral bank system, Japan is chasing benefits and propelling strategies continually. Through analyzing its aid actions in South Asia,especially in India in recent years,we find that the two apparenty different aid forms are actually the same in guiding ideology.The beliefs and practices of Japan’s aid actions in South Asia reflect the characteristic of both belonging to the same value system.They also manifest Japan’s plans to expand its regional influence in politics and economy.

The Mode and Status of Japan’s Participation in Global Value Chains：Based on Study of the ValueAdded Trade

XIAO Xue1，NIU Meng2

2018, 32(1): 30-41. DOI: 10.14156/j.cnki.rbwtyj.2018.01.004

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In the context the global value chains, Japan is undoubtedly an important beneficiary of the global value chains. Therefore, a thorough examination of the mode and status of Japan’s manufacturing participation in the global value chain can provide reliable empirical support for China’s participation in GVCd. In this paper, the added value of trade is based on the perspective of constructing GVC participation and GVC status index using the OECD database.We analyse the manufacturing industry of Japan in GVC degree, mode and the position. The results show that: (1) In terms of degree, the process of integration into the GVC has been accelerated. (2) In terms of mode, the Japanese manufacturing industry is mainly embedded in GVC by means of forward participation mode, and its GVC forward participation rate is much higher than the latter. (3)In terms of position, Japan has been in the upper position of GVC.However, with regard to the changing trend, its GVC position index showed a downward trend, which means that its GVC position is declining, in which the medium technology is the most obvious, followed by low and high technology.

The “Imperial Court”’s Arguments of Kokutai and the Monarchical Power in the Constitution of Modern Japan：A Case Study of Iwakura Tomomi

ZHANG Yan-ru

2018, 32(1): 42-50. DOI: 10.14156/j.cnki.rbwtyj.2018.01.005

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During the times of modern Japan, many arguments about the establishment of constitution appeared . Kokutai is the focus of the problem. The "Imperial Court" led by Iwakura Tomomi had a great influence on the principles of the constitution. Their main idea is to keep the Mikado’s rule forever. In their opinions, the Mikado has divine right. So they fought against popular sovereignty fiercely. Owing to their influence, the Constitution of the Empire of Japan didn’t handle well the problem of the Mikado’s status. This is the source of later controversy of Kokutai.

On Taisuke Itagaki’s Nationalism

LIU Xiao-jun

2018, 32(1): 51-60. DOI: 10.14156/j.cnki.rbwtyj.2018.01.006

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Taisuke Itagaki’s nationalism is a typical embodiment of that in Meiji period of Japan, which experienced stages of establishment to expansion. In the period of Free Civil Right Movement, he instrumentalized civil rights,and asserted that upholding civil rights must be done before safeguarding national sovereignty.Before and after the RussoJapanese War,I tagaki Taisuke rationalized the foreign expansion behavior of Japan in order to protect national interests,ignoring and trampling on the legitimate rights and interests of China and the korean Penisula.At the same time,he flaunted“pacifism”in the binary opposition between dictatorship and constitutionalism,and cmbinied that with the opposition against hierarchy and the awareness of racial disparities by adapting to changes in modern Japanese society.

The Formation and Evolution of “The Tea Ceremony” in East Asian Context

ZHANG Jian-li

2018, 32(1): 61-68. DOI: 10.14156/j.cnki.rbwtyj.2018.01.007

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In Chinese,Japanese,and Korean,there is a word denoting“the tea cerenomy”.The words in the three languages differ not only in pronunciation,but also in connotation.Since ancient times,“tea as a sacrifice”,“tea for guests”,and“tea as a gift”are the three main forms of tea cerenomy in East Asia,which can be described as a common feature of East Asia tea culture.A detailed study reveals that,although there is a close relationship of inheritance,the three forms of tea ceremong in China,Japan and the Korean Peninsula differ greatly.Especially with“tea for guests”,there are fundamental differences.

Disqualified Majority: The Narrative Ethics in No Longer Human

FAN Jing-xia

2018, 32(1): 69-74. DOI: 10.14156/j.cnki.rbwtyj.2018.01.008

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The development of Japanese thinktank is later than that of Europe and America, but it grows rapidly. After three stages of beginning, development, and maturity, five types of thinktank have been formed which are named as official think tank, quasiofficial think tank, enterprise think tank, folk think tank and university think tank. They have remarkable developing features and unique operation mechanism. Therefore, a system of thinktank with Japanese characteristics has come into being, which provides a useful reference for the construction of think tank in other countries.

The Meaning of the Economic Novels by Ihara Saikaku：Centering on Nihon Eitaigura and Seken Munesan’yō

GOU Yan-jun

2018, 32(1): 75-80. DOI: 10.14156/j.cnki.rbwtyj.2018.01.009

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Set in the early Edo period in Japan,“Tyoninmono” of Ihara Saikaku, the economic novels which reveal the experience of acquiring wealth relying on diligence and wisdom and the lesson of becoming impoverished through luxury and extravagance, demonstrate deep sympathy for the poverty of the merchant families from lowermiddle class and a certain recognition of the increasing disparity between the rich and the poor. Ihara Saikaku’s gradual process in understanding the almightiness of money and richpoor division results in his initial enthusiastic compliment, then contradictory confusion and sceptical ridicule in the end. Although his scepticism has not been developed into a systematic theoretical framework, it is still of indispensable significance for the research on the history of that period.

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