ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores the political and economic changes that have occurred in the Asian Pacific region since World War II, and considers their implications. It examines, against this backdrop of change and development, the path trodden by Japan, its position and the problems it has faced, as well as to speculate on its future. The book considers Japan's position in general, and addresses the question of how it is trying to relate — in political, economic and security terms — with the outside world. It provides an overview of the economies of the Asian Pacific region, which has been described as the growth centre of the world of the 1980s, and examines the extent of Japan's involvement.
