In this book, a team of distinguished scholars seeks to explain and understand aspects of the firm in the Japanese economic system, and to explain the corporate success of Japan. The book is interdisciplinary, uses theoretical and empirical work, and has contributions from the fields of institutional economics, organizational theory, economic history, and sociology. Major themes are the recognition of business practices and the recognition of the diversity of experience within Japan, for example, analysing small or medium-sized firms separately from large companies. Several contributors deal with the transferability or adaptability of the Japanese experience to the Nordic or Anglo-American context. The book is held together by a strong introductory chapter by the editors.Contributors: M. Aoki, R. Dore, R. Freeman, K. Koike, R. Cole, M. Sako, B. Asanuma, D. E. Westney, D. Okimoto, Y. Nishi, D. H. Whittaker, H. Itoh, T. Hoshi, P. Sheard, T. Okazaki