Japan has received more attention and generated more optimism in the first six months of 2013 than perhaps during all of the preceding six years. This has been triggered by the return of Shinzo Abe as prime minister of Japan for a second time and the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to government. But beyond personalities and party politics, the major factor behind the attention and optimism comes from the new administration’s promise of bold actions and reforms — dubbed “Abenomics” — and the grand vision of reviving Japan’s long-stagnant economy.
As Japan tries to restart its economy — still the world’s third largest in absolute size, and with considerable strengths in the corporate sector and technology — what will be the repercussions for others in Asia and especially in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)?
PDF Download: Abenomics, Asia & ASEAN [Japan Spotlight, Sep/Oct]
This article by SIIA Chairman Simon Tay was a cover story in Japan Spotlight Sep/Oct 2013 issue(requires subscription).
