Japan & Asia's Economic Development

This study examined the potential and the likelihood that Japan will act as a major force in the economic development of Asia in the 21st century. The thesis of this study was that Japan will fulfill this role in Asia's economic development in the 21st century. This thesis was extend to contend that Japan will exercise this role through direct foreign investment (DFI) in other Asian economies. Asia, in the context of this study, referred to East Asia.

This thesis is developed through an investigation and review of the relevant developments and issues. The findings of the research performed are presented as follows:

Chapter 2 - MODERN JAPAN'S ROLE IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY

Chapter 3 - ASIA'S POTENTIAL FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THE 21 CENTURY

Chapter 4 - ISSUES RELATED TO A JAPANESE LEADERSHIP ROLE IN THE ASIAN ECONOMY IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Chapter 5 - JAPAN AS A MAJOR FORCE IN THE ASIAN ECONOMY IN THE 21ST CENTURY

MODERN JAPAN'S ROLE IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY

At the end of the Second World War, approximately 40 percent of Japan's industrial plants and infrastructure lay in ruins. The country's economic output at the end of the war had dropped back to the levels of the late-1920s (Gordon, 1995, p. 369). During the early post-war years, the country's industrial infrastructure was rebuilt. By 1953, Japanese output matched 1940 levels. The growth rate from 1946 to 1953