ABSTRACT
This chapter describes northeast Asian think tanks: what they are and how they might respond to problems and argues that this financial crisis is caused both by the failure of a market as well as the lack of a policy making market and industry. It also examines the changing environments for think tanks in Japan, South Korea, China, and Taiwan, highlighting the obstacles and the opportunities facing policy research institutes that wish to be genuinely independent. The majority of this region's think tanks are affiliated with or have strong ties to government ministries or higher education institutions, especially national universities. Nonprofit think tanks in Japan often work on research contracts awarded by national and local governments or semigovemmental agencies and institutions. For profit think tanks, which are generally corporate arms, conduct economic and business forecasts and provide consulting services to clients. A large number of articles on public policy and think tanks are appearing in Japan's media.
