{"product_id":"the-power-to-compete-isbn-9781119000600","title":"The Power to Compete","description":"\u003cb\u003e\"If you're as interested in Japan as I am, I think you'll find that \u003ci\u003eThe Power to Compete\u003c\/i\u003e is a smart and thought-provoking look at the future of a fascinating country.\" - Bill Gates, \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"5 Books to Read This Summer\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFather and son – entrepreneur and economist – search for Japan's economic cure\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Power to Compete\u003c\/i\u003e tackles the issues central to the prosperity of Japan – and the world – in search of a cure for the \"Japan Disease.\" As founder and CEO of Rakuten, one of the world's largest Internet companies, author Hiroshi Mikitani brings an entrepreneur's perspective to bear on the country's economic stagnation. Through a freewheeling and candid conversation with his economist father, Ryoichi Mikitani, the two examine the issues facing Japan, and explore possible roadmaps to revitalization. How can Japan overhaul its economy, education system, immigration, public infrastructure, and hold its own with China? Their ideas include applying business techniques like Key Performance Indicators to fix the economy, using information technology to cut government bureaucracy, and increasing the number of foreign firms with a head office in Japan. Readers gain rare insight into Japan's future, from both academic and practical perspectives on the inside.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMikitani argues that Japan's tendency to shun international frameworks and hide from global realities is the root of the problem, while Mikitani Sr.'s background as an international economist puts the issue in perspective for a well-rounded look at today's Japan.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003eExamine the causes of Japan's endless economic stagnation\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eDiscover the current efforts underway to enhance Japan's competitiveness\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eLearn how free market \"Abenomics\" affected Japan's economy long-term\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eSee Japan's issues from the perspective of an entrepreneur and an economist\u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e \u003cp\u003eJapan's malaise is seated in a number of economic, business, political, and cultural issues, and this book doesn't shy away from hot topics. More than a discussion of economics, this book is a conversation between father and son as they work through opposing perspectives to help their country find \u003ci\u003eThe Power to Compete\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIntroduction Japan Again ix\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 1 The Power to Innovate 1\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eJapan Again 1\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Keys to Revitalizing Japan 4\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eKeidanren’s Raison Dêtre 7\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Nature of Innovation 11\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSchumpeter’s Contribution 15\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBuilding Infrastructure 19\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBusiness Innovation 23\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSummary 27\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 2 The Power to Operate 29\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWorkforce Fluidity 29\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrivatization 33\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eLifetime Employment 37\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEscaping Lifetime Employment 40\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eImmigration Problems 43\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhy English Needs to Be a Common Language in Japan 45\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eGrowing the Population 50\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSummary 53\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 3 The Power in Questioning Abenomics 55\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHistory of Abenomics 55\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIndependence in Finance 59\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Optimal Inflation Rate 62\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHalting the Rise of Interest Rates 65\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhat to Do About Our 1-Quadrillion-Yen Debt 67\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Pros and Cons of Abenomics 70\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSummary 75\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 4 The Power of the Low-Cost State 77\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe High Cost of Governance 77\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHow to Reform the High-Cost Structure 83\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAddressing the Japanese Disease 87\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe United States and Individualism 92\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Impotent Bureaucracy 95\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eInternationalizing the Bureaucracy 99\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCreating Think Tanks 103\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePolitical Appointees 106\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhat It Will Take to Improve the Bureaucracy 109\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSummary 111\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 5 The Power to Succeed Overseas 113\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Decline in the Number of Students Studying Abroad 113\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEscaping from the Galapagos Effect 118\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Future of Journalism 121\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMedia in the Internet Era 125\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Importance of Liberal Arts 131\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eRyoichi Mikitani’s Experiences Abroad 134\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSummary 137\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 6 The Power to Educate 139\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eUniform Japanese Education 139\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Education of the Mikitani Family 141\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhat the Education System Needs 146\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigher Education 151\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhat People Study in University 154\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Founding of Rakuten 157\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Evaluation System for Teachers 160\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Need for Strategy in the Japanese Education System 162\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSummary 168\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 7 The Power to Build Brand Japan 169\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBrand Power 169\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Demonstration Effect 174\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBrand Value at the National Level 178\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eForeign Nationals Working in Japan 183\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMaking Japan Attractive to Foreign Nationals 186\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eJapan and the Trans-Pacific Partnership 189\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSummary 195\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eConclusion What is the Power to Compete? 197\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eJapan Uniquely Incorporates and Interprets Cultures 197\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCompetitiveness as a Platform 200\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Global Logistics Revolution 202\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSummary 205\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEpilogue 207\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAcknowledgments 211\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIndex 213\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eHIROSHI MIKITANI\u003c\/b\u003e is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Rakuten, Inc., one of the world’s largest Internet companies. The firm has operations in 28 countries and customers all over the world. \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eRYOICHI MIKITANI\u003c\/b\u003e was a leading Japanese economist who worked and studied at Harvard, Stanford, Yale, and Kobe University and made important contributions in his work with the Japan Society for Monetary Economics. Ryoichi was also a prolific and respected author.  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThroughout its history, Japan has had a strong sense of its political, economic, and cultural individuality. This pride in the Japanese tradition has been one of the nation’s greatest strengths—and one of its greatest weaknesses. In a world of connection, collaboration, and rapid exchange, Japan is falling behind. This is the reality readers must confront in \u003ci\u003eThe Power to Compete\u003c\/i\u003e, a truly one-of-a-kind book with a sensitive approach to the most pressing issues faced by Asia’s island nation. \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe authors and protagonists of \u003ci\u003eThe Power to Compete\u003c\/i\u003e are Hiroshi Mikitani, chairman and CEO of one of Japan’s largest Internet companies, and his father Ryoichi Mikitani, a leading Japanese economist. In this series of long-form conversations between them, the perspectives of father and son come together to uncover the path forward that will allow Japan to slough off its decades-long stagnation.  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCombining hard-hitting analysis with a little light banter, \u003ci\u003eThe Power to Compete\u003c\/i\u003e is an enjoyable read that nonetheless presents important revelations and recommendations. Mikitani, Sr., who passed away shortly before the publication of this book, was a Harvard-educated international economist who studied under Nobel Prize winners and made important contributions to Japanese economic theory. His understanding of Abenomics, the free market economic reform plan of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, provides a depth to \u003ci\u003eThe Power to Compete\u003c\/i\u003e that is lacking in many other books on the topic. Mikitani, Jr., on the other hand, has the practical experience to know how the Japanese business world will be affected if the nation fails to evolve.  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThrough their conversations, Mikitani, Sr., and Mikitani, Jr., arrive at a series of conclusions that will inspire readers to work on the international stage for Japan’s development. Summarized concisely at the end of each chapter, these conclusions range from implementing business strategies like key performance indicators to using technological advancements in an effort to reform and modernize childhood education.  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe authors of this book do not suggest that Japan should change. Instead, they show how Japan can use its historical strengths and strong national identity to create an economic platform to return to competitiveness in the global arena. \u003ci\u003eThe Power to Compete\u003c\/i\u003e is a cross-generational conversation that should engage a new group of entrepreneurs and officials in the process of creating a future for Japan that is both peaceful and prosperous.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wiley","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47990318563557,"sku":"NP9781119000600","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9781119000600.jpg?v=1761787335","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/the-power-to-compete-isbn-9781119000600","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}