ABSTRACT
Japanese globalization suggests two closely connected connotations in the field of economy. There is, first of all, the importance of the Japanese economy resulting from its size, state of economic and technological development, and wealth. In the post-war period, this purely quantitative aspect of Japanese globalization acquired additional weight through the speed at which the economy grew. While still employing 40 per cent of its labour force in the agricultural sector in 1955, Japan developed within just three decades to an economy with one of the world’s highest levels of per capita income and with sectoral leadership in many cutting-edge fields of technology. Japan’s impressive growth did not take place in isolation. The other industrialized economies were forced to adjust to the rise of Japan, as can be seen by the history of trade conflicts that arose in response to the expansion of Japanese exports (Komiya 1999:32–41). Japan’s success as a late-comer proved a decisive challenge to the earlier developers of Europe and North America.
