The history of economic policy in Japan

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Struggle against Lean Production System
By Takao Kimura, Assistant Professor of Nagoya Economics University, Member of Aichi Labor Institute, Rodo-Soken Journal, April 1998. A group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) named Toyata' production the lean production system and recommended it as a model for producing various kinds of products at low cost as a 21st century's standard production system that will replace the traditional mass-production method.
Japan to tackle unemployment: new budget possible
Asia Times, 27 April 1999. Japan will unveil plans next month to stem the rising jobless rate, adding to expectations that a new budget is on the way to pump extra money into the stalled economy.
Major Three Banks to Set up a Holding Company in 2000 to be World's Biggest
Japan Press Service, 20 August 1999. A plan approved by the Diet in December 1997 to set up a financial holding company in the year 2000 as the world's biggest bank, aims to increased competitiveness based on complete cooperation. The post World War II Anti-Monopoly Law prohibited holding companies because the big zaibatsu corporations had promoted Japan's aggression in World War II by utilizing their political and economic control through holding companies.
Why should we bail out banks?
By Kazuo Kojima, Mainichi Shimbun, Friday 22 October 1999. Taxpayers have had to foot a huge bill to save the nation's debt-ridden banks because the government says that if the financial institutions are not saved the [capitalist] economy could collapse.
JCP Ichida raps corporate donations to political party
Japan Press Service, 8 February 2001. Calls for a ban on corporate donations to political parties, as the essential path of eliminating curruption. The insurance premiums that KSD, the insurer foundation for smaller business owners, collected from small businesses have long been used as party dues for LDP members in name only, and the LDP itself has taken part in such a money-for-favor mechanism.
JCP calls for three-point economic reforms to benefit people
Japan Press Service, 8 February 2001. Prime Minister Mori Yoshiro again showed his lack of sense of responsibility on February 7 when he attributed the high unemployment rate among young people to their way of thinking. Reckless corporate restructuring crowds young people out.
At issue is a choice between two ways to solve economic crisis
Japan Press Service, 28 March 2001. Discussing ways to overcome the current economic crisis JCParty Chair Shii Kazuo emphasized the need to focus on efforts to help the public increase their personal spending. He criticized the government's emergency economic policy for putting too much emphasis on banks' early disposal of bad loans.
New PM pledges at May Day rally to overhaul Japan
Agence France-Presses, Saturday 28 April 2001. New Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi vowed at a May Day rally Saturday to overhaul the spluttering Japanese economy after a decade of policy paralysis. The reform-minded Koizumi, who has promised structural reforms which could lead to higher unemployment, pledged to do what it took to drag the world's second-biggest economy back to health.
Draft policy pushes for belt-tightening
Yomiuri Shimbun, 15 June 2002. Strong resistance is expected to further progress of a neoliberal draft policy on economic and fiscal management and structural reforms from the government's Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy, which advocates reduction of government spending without sacred cows.