Opening Japan's Financial Markets

📖 The Scoop

Opening Japan's Financial Marketsexamines the failure of foreign banks to penetrate Japanese financial markets. It looks beyond simplistic arguments which blame stringent Japanese protectionist policies for keeping the Japanese market closed. Examining the history of foreign banking activity in Japan, the book shows that the inept behavior of foreign banks and foreign governments explains much of their failure.

J. Robert Brown, Jr. argues that solutions designed to "punish" the Japanese--such as managed trade--are inappropriate. He suggests that foreign banks must change their approach to the Japanese regulatory system and their method of operation--including an overhaul of their personnel practices. Brown argues that a greater understanding and commitment to the market is needed, and that the US government must put its own house in order as it induces the Japanese to liberalize. Brown also discusses at length the methods used by the Japanese government to limit foreign banks to a small niche in the financial markets.

Genre: Business & Economics / General (fancy, right?)