Del 292 i serien Harvard East Asian Monographs

From Foot Soldier to Finance Minister

Takahashi Korekiyo, Japan’s Keynes

Häftad, Engelska, 2009

289 kr

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From his birth in the lowest stratum of the samurai class to his assassination at the hands of right-wing militarists, Takahashi Korekiyo (1854-1936) lived through tumultuous times that shaped the course of modern Japanese history. Takahashi is considered "Japan's Keynes" in many circles because of the forward-thinking (and controversial) fiscal and monetary policies--including deficit financing, currency devaluation, and lower interest rates--that he implemented to help Japan rebound from the Great Depression and move toward a modern economy.Richard J. Smethurst's engaging biography underscores the profound influence of the seven-time finance minister on the political and economic development of Japan by casting new light on Takahashi's unusual background, unique talents, and singular experiences as a charismatic and cosmopolitan financial statesman.Along with the many fascinating personal episodes--such as working as a houseboy in California and running a silver mine in the Andes--that molded Takahashi and his thinking, the book also highlights four major aspects of Takahashi's life: his unorthodox self-education, his two decades of service at the highest levels of government, his pathbreaking economic and political policies before and during the Depression, and his efforts to stem the rising tide of militarism in the 1930s. Deftly weaving together archival sources, personal correspondence, and historical analysis, Smethurst's study paints an intimate portrait of a key figure in the history of modern Japan.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum2009-10-01
Mått156 x 235 x 27 mm
Vikt574 g
FormatHäftad
SpråkEngelska
SerieHarvard East Asian Monographs
Antal sidor377
FörlagHarvard University, Asia Center
ISBN9780674036208
UtmärkelserNominated for John Whitney Hall Book Prize 2009

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Introduction 1. A Remarkable Beginning, 1854-67 2. Takahashi in San Francisco, 1867-68 3. Many Mentors, Few Teachers: Takahashi's Career in and out of Government, 1869-81 4. Japan's First Trademark and Patent Laws, 1881-89 5. Maeda Masana and the Debate over Industrial Policy, 1882-85 6. Managing a Silver Mine in Peru, 1889-90 7. Entering the Bank of Japan, 1892-1904 8. Fundraising During the Russo-Japanese War: 1904 9. Fundraising During the Russo-Japanese War: 1905 10. The Lessons of Wars, 1906-18 11. Taisho Democracy, 1918-27 12. "Japan's Keynes": Japan and the World Depression, 1929-34 13. Takahasi's Fiscal Policies and the Rise of Militarism, 1932-36 Conclusion: Takahashi's Economic Philosophy and Its Roots Appendix: Takahashi's Memoirs Notes Works Cited Index

Japan emerged from worldwide economic depression in the 1930s more successfully and quickly than the other modern world economies. Without denying the role of rapid militarization in prompting economic growth, this new biography of Japan's seven-time finance minister shows how Takahashi's countercyclical fiscal and monetary policies overcame a steep deflationary spiral and in the process engineered a remarkable record of growth built on a novel deficit spending approach...In telling Takahashi's story, Smethurst uncovers some of the pushes and pulls shaping Japan's modem economic growth, and it is a story he tells well.