Japan Restored

August 17, 2015
Labor economist Prestowitz (Rogue Nation) projects visions of Japan’s future in this well-handled study of sensitive politico-economic issues disguised as a love letter to the country. Japan’s economic decline after the 2011 tsunami spurred this peek into a crystal ball. Prestowitz opens with a snapshot of the nation in 2050 as a world leader in technology, medicine, athletics, and education. These strides follow a series of potential crises in 2016 that prompt the government to appoint an Extraordinary National Revitalization Commission. The commission introduces changes that strengthen Japan’s regional power and promote women into management positions, as well as transforming it into an English-speaking nation like Singapore. Finally, the 20th-century zaibatsu model that guaranteed citizens jobs for life is replaced by the profit-driven model that turned Nissan around in 2001. While there’s nothing in this big-themed fabulist tale that seems out of reach, it remains to be seen whether Prestowitz’s well-intentioned advice will make an impact among Japan’s decision makers.

September 15, 2015

Prestowitz's (founder, Economic Strategy Inst.; The Betrayal of American Prosperity) book begins in 2050, when Japan is the world's leader economically, technologically, culturally, and militarily. Looking at that country's current demographic trends, it's hard to believe such a future, but in subsequent chapters, the author explains the dramatic changes Japan needs to implement to realize such a the possibility. Prestowitz predicts that the future will see a decrease in U.S. military presence in Asia, China will become overwhelmed with internal concerns, and India will surpass China in power. Therefore, Japan should reform its pacifist constitution and form a military alliance with India to promote stability in the region. Domestically, the author recommends that Japan encourage more women to enter the workforce, motivate men to take an active role in child rearing, relax restrictions on immigration, adopt English as an official language, decentralize the government, and more. The author compellingly argues that a strong Japan is a force for good in the world. VERDICT Highly recommended for anyone interested in the future of Japan. Fans of George Friedman's The Next 100 Years will enjoy this work.--Joshua Wallace, Ranger Coll., TX

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2015
Only three decades ago, Japan was primed to supplant the U.S. as the dominant economic power in the Pacific region. Referred to by many with a combination of admiration and fear, Japan Inc. was seen as a model in terms of economic efficiency, labor relations, and even social cohesion. Subsequently, Japan has endured prolonged economic stagnation, brought on by increased competition from China and the Asian tigers and a political class unable to make the necessary adaptations. Prestowitz, a labor economist who once warned about the challenge Japan presented to the U.S., now envisions a rejuvenated Japan in this futuristic tract. In the year 2050, Japan leads the world in technological innovation, the use of clean energy, and medical science. Prestowitz then describes how Japan resurrected itself. Spurred on by a series of world crises, a National Revitalization Commission helps Japan become more assertive in geopolitical affairs, stops its demographic slide, achieves energy independence, and even becomes a bilingual nation to attract talented people from English-speaking nations. Some of these projections may seem fanciful, but Prestowitz knows Japan well, and this provocative work is likely to encourage heated debate in both Japan and the U.S.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)