| Summary: | Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited === This thesis examines the anatomy of postwar Japanese economic development. It is illustrated by the reform and reconstruction era (1945-52) and those factors which caused the Japanese economy to grow during the 1953-73 period. Furthermore, on the basis of Japanese economic successes, the role of the Japanese in world affairs again became important. However, due to the world experiencing economic inflation and an oil shock after 1974, the Japanese economy also experienced slower growth. Discussed in detail are those factors that made the Japanese economy slow down in this period. This thesis stresses the three decades of Japanese economic development after World War II. Evaluation of the Japanese economy is necessary to analyze its weaknesses and strengths which will shape its future development and competitiveness. In particular, the end of Cold War brought new kinds of thinking and concern about what type of problems Japan might face in the next century. Of course those issues include regionalism, economic strategy shifts after the end of Cold War, and intricate major power relations among Japan, China and the United States. In reality the post-Cold War challenges are also a turning point for Japan, compelling it to deal with new problems and to decide what kind of roles it is going to play
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