キャリアデザイン学部Faculty of Lifelong Learning and Career Studies

Course outline: Since the end of the 1990s, the decline of the Japanese economy has been a frequent topic of discussion in the media, with terms such as "the lost 20 years" being bandied about. Such discussions seem to be based on an understanding of history as if the Japanese economy had consistently achieved steady economic development up to that point. However, tracing the history of the postwar Japanese economy, the issue of a crisis in the Japanese economy has always appeared repeatedly since the high economic growth. So, what are the actual issues that Japan faces when it traces this historical path and looks at the economic trends of the country? In this class, the history of the Japanese economy will be divided into six periods: the postwar reconstruction period, the high growth period, the stable growth period after the oil crisis, the bubble growth period and its collapse, the long-term recession period, and the present day.

Learning Objectives: This lecture aims to help students understand the context of changes in the postwar Japanese economy, so that they can continue to observe the Japanese economy today with their feet on the ground.

Learning activities outside of classroom
The lecture content scheduled for each session will follow the textbook. Students are expected to prepare for and review the following.

[Before class] Read through the relevant pages in advance, and look up unfamiliar terms on the Internet or in the references provided in the textbook (approximate time allocation: 3 hours).

[After class] Re-read the textbook and deepen your understanding of the contents of interest to you, using the references introduced in class. It is advisable to use the university library for this purpose. Audiovisual materials may be used in class (approx. 1 hour).

[Textbook pages for each session]
Session 1: "Introduction" (Introduction + Chapter 1, p. 1~32)
Session 2: "Postwar Reform and Reconstruction" (Chapter 2, p. 33~50)
Part 3: "Mechanisms of High Growth 1" (Chapters 3-4, p. 51-85)
Session 4: "Mechanisms of High Growth 2" (Chapters 5-6, P86~109)
Part 5: "Mechanisms of Rapid Growth 3" (Chapters 7-9, P110~135)
Part 6: "Oil Crisis and the Transition to Stable Growth 1" (Chapters 10-11, P142~184)
Session 7: "Oil Crisis and the Transition to Stable Growth 2" (Chapters 12-14, P185~221)
Session 8: "The Formation and Collapse of Bubble 1" (Chapters 15-16, p. 226~263)
Part 9: "Bubble Formation and Collapse 2" (Chapters 17-18, p. 264~283)
Part 10: "Bubble Formation and Collapse 3" (Chapter 19, P284~296)
Part 11: "Long-term Stagnation and the Transformation of the Japanese Corporate System 1" (Chapters 20-23, P302~381)
Part 12: "Long-term Stagnation and the Transformation of the Japanese Corporate System 2" (Chapters 24-26, P359~427)
Session 13: "Long-term Stagnation and the Transformation of the Japanese Corporate System 3" (Chapters 27 to the end, P428~486)
Session 14: "Summary" (last chapter, p. 461~486)

Grading Criteria / Policy:
Final exam: Students will be evaluated on whether they can logically describe the historical transition of the postwar Japanese economy based on historical facts, and whether they can consider the issues of the Japanese economy based on these circumstances through a written exam (50%).
Mid-term exam: To check the level of understanding of the first half of the lecture content. (20%)
Commitment to the class: Students will be evaluated on their comments in class and submission of comment papers (30%).

日本語 / Japanese