ABSTRACT
Privatization of large government undertakings has been a central theme in the deregulation and liberalization of the Japanese economy. Privatization of the government’s highway corporation and postal system were at the top of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s agenda in his attempt to redesign Japanese politics, the LDP and the economy. By most measures, the actual privatization measures were drastically weakened versions of original plans. Given the disappointment with the progress made in this campaign, it may be worthwhile to examine privatization in the 1980s under the aegis of Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone.
