Review by Choice Review
Analyzing reasons for Japan's economic "miracle" in the period after WW II, many writers tend to look at some of the unique aspects of Japanese life. Among these are cultural traits derived from both Shintoism and Confucianism, as well as labor management practices that provide for lifetime employment and a wage system based on seniority. Fukasaku, a Japanese scholar, examines how the country has employed Western technology to its advantage to achieve desired economic results. Using as a case study the growth of Mitsubishi Nagasaki Shipyard over a period of half a century in the prewar period, she looks at how this particular enterprise was able to incorporate Western technology by making constant changes and its own innovations. She also examines such factors as the cooperation that existed between the firm and the Japanese government for the larger national objectives. Fukasaku also points to the critical role played by the highly educated personnel, trained either in government institutes or those set up by Mitsubishi. An excellent study that not only contributes to the understanding of the rapid economic strides Japan has made but also has valuable lessons for many industrializing countries. Advanced undergraduate; graduate. S. K. Gupta; Pittsburgh State University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
