Japan: Beyond the End of History

David Williams has taught Japanese government and political philosophy at Oxford University and is now an editorial writer for The Japan Times. He regularly comments on Japanese affairs for the Los Angeles Times.

`...a lively, provocative, erudite and well-written book. As befits a practising journalist, Williams demonstrates both an attractive turn of phrase and the nimble use of data and argument.' - Political Studies`The specialist will... find many thought provoking comments in this book which is clearly based on an in depth study of Japanses political institutions and attitudes.' - - Sir Hugh Cortazzi, Proceedings of the Japan Society

• Introduction 1 Policymaking in an economic superpower 2 Understanding the new Japan: Some ideological pointers PART I THE POLITICS Policymakers and the Japanese political system 3 Why the centre holds 4 Gentlemen and players in the policy contest; The Japanese state at work 5 Four policy lessons from the 1980s 6 The Ministry of Finance and the Japanese miracle 7 Japanese industrial policy: The great debate 8 Politics and policies since the bubble PART II THE PHILOSOPHY The foundations of the Japanese approach 9 A Japanese lesson: Language and nationalism 10 Japan, Germany and the alternative tradition in modern public policy 11 Making history: Japan’s grand narrative and the policymaker; Theories and controversies 12 The revolutionary 1980s and the rise of Japanese public policy studies 13 Yellow Athena: The Japanese model and ‘The End of History’ 14 Japanese public policy as foreign policy: A post-war revolution? 15 Unblinking politics: McCarthyism, grand theory and wild Empiricism; Coda, 16 The receding roar: Last thoughts on the Japanese miracle