Japanese Economic History

Harvard FAS

The rapid rise of the Japanese economy throughout its modern history has fascinated historians and economists. Japan was the first non-Western nation to industrialize. This unique development had its roots in the Meiji government’s policy of creating a “strong army and rich country” as a way to survive the world of competitive empires in the nineteenth century. The country achieved great power status during the early twentieth century, but Japan’s economy was devastated after its disastrous…