Japan's Economic Future: Policy, Politics, and Producers: Center on Japanese Economy and Business 20th Anniversary Conference in New York, October 26, 2006

This conference is the companion to another celebratory conference that was held on May 15 in Tokyo titled “Japan’s Future Economic Directions.” From its inception, the mission of the Center on Japanese Economy and Business has been to promote knowledge and understanding of the Japanese economy and its managerial and business systems in domestic, East Asian, and global contexts, with a special focus on the Japan-U.S. relationship. Over time, the strategy and ways to implement this mission have developed and evolved as circumstances in Japan and the world have changed so dramatically. Now we are increasingly emphasizing Japan’s relations with China and themes of East Asian cooperation. Japan’s role as a major, mature player in the global economic system is even more important today than it was twenty years ago. However, the purpose of this conference is not to discuss Japanese economic history or the activities of the Center over the past twenty years, but to look ahead