Please note: this session of the DIJ Study Group is postponed until further notice

Was the postwar economic miracle a result of the Japanese government’s industrial policy, or did it occur despite it? Numerous studies on the effects of government policy on industrial growth have produced contradictory or inconclusive findings. In this talk, Krautter argues that one of the main instruments of industrial policy toward growth industries was the licensing system for technology imports.  Focusing on technology policy, he finds that the licensing system positively influenced the terms and conditions of technology imports. Krautter contends that the government’s role in postwar industrial development was more that of a coordinator rather than of a “leader” or “guide.” This view is reflected in the description of the Japanese state as a coordination state, contrasting with the well-known concept of the developmental state.