ABSTRACT
This chapter starts with the network state view of Japan and the significance of social norms. It examines Gramscian approaches and provides an analysis of culture, financial globalization, and the convergence-diversity debate. The chapter discusses three pairs of contrasting concepts in sociology, psychology, and philosophy, the concept of systemic support, and dominant elites in Japan and the US–Japan relations. Broadly speaking, there are three major perspectives that account for the post-war Japanese economic system, namely “liberal market,” “developmental state,” and “network state” models. The network state view maintains networks and collaboration between the state and business were a key to Japan’s rapid economic growth – the state bureaucracy “gently shepherded its myopic business sheep.” the network state view does not clarify sufficiently the nature of Japanese social norms and culture, and few scholars have emphasized the significant influence of social norms on the Japanese political economy.
