Digitalization of the Japanese Economy by the Example of the Banking Sector: Current Results, Prospects and Problems

Purpose: the purpose of this study is to examine the current state of Japan's digital transformation, with a focus on the banking sector, analyzing specifc examples, identifying obstacles that hinder the achievement of expected results.Methods: the article is based on the analysis of scientifc and analytical materials devoted to the problem of research, a set of general scientific methods is applied, including comparison, scientifc generalization, analogy, etc.Results: the article presents the main trends and current results of digitalization of Japanese banks, provides examples of projects, identifies problematic areas of the implemented policy. A hypothesis is put forward about the key role of the government in the development of new standards for the organization of work, taking into account the use of innovative technologies. For Japan, digitalization is chosen as a key tool to mitigate the current socio-economic situation. Digitalization is already being implemented in the healthcare sector, agriculture, etc. Another sector at the center of digitalization is the fnancial one. Financial technologies form new markets and products. Non-banking companies penetrate into the areas occupied by classical banks, competing and even displacing them.These processes are observed both in Japan and in other countries of the world, including Russia. Therefore, studying the Japanese experience of integrating digital technologies into the fnancial sector is important. Although Russia is among the leaders in the digitalization of the financial sector, it is difcult for fntech companies to break into the Russian market due to pressure from large classical banks, as well as the lack of trust in fntech companies from the population.Conclusions and Relevance: in contrast to the manufacturing sector, digitalization of non-manufacturing areas is slower in Japan. This is due to a shortage of qualifed personnel, fnancial risks, etc. Today, the priority for fnancial institutions remains to create the basis for the introduction of digitalization and improve management efciency. From the point of view of ensuring the stability of the fnancial system, it is expected that the Bank of Japan, together with the government, will encourage initiatives in the feld of fnancial development.

Business Education in Japan

In Japan, the most prominent players in business education are corporations because they provide on-the-job training to their employees, particularly new graduates. However, with the low growth of the Japanese economy after the collapse of the bubble economy around 1990 and the recent drastic changes in the international environment, it is necessary to reexamine business education. To cope with the drastically changing environment, many Japanese companies are evolving their education model to emphasize off-the-job training in addition to on-the-job training. The main target of such training now includes senior executives, in addition to junior- to mid-level executives. Business schools play a role in educating senior executives. Although major Japanese companies utilize top business schools overseas, Japanese business schools are still the major education providers. This chapter discusses the recent changes, prospects, and issues concerning Japanese business schools.

Japan: Formalization of Banking Supervision Including a Reversal

This chapter deals with the case of Japan, which experienced a reversal of the formalization of banking supervision. Additionally, this chapter outlines the on-site examination process and the main objectives of bank examinations. During the initial adoption of formal banking supervision, its main role was the “education” of bankers rather than proper prudential oversight. Formal banking supervision was suspended between 1893 and 1914 but was reintroduced in response to requests from both bankers and the government. This reversal reflected the development of the Japanese economy in the 1900s and 1910s, and thus the main driver of the formalization of banking supervision in Japan was not a financial crisis. The gradual development of the banking sector and better-educated bankers in the early twentieth century provided the background for the transformation of the supervisor’s role. The formalization process was completed with the enactment of the Banking Act of 1927 and the creation of the Bank Inspection Section within the Ministry of Finance in 1927.

Questioning Abenomics and a Keynesian Approach to Japan’s Deflation Problem via Input-Output Analysis

Japan’s economy has had chronic deflation and high public debt problems so that it has been trying to handle its problems based on either the demand-side or the supply-side for more than two decades. This paper suggests that a perspective of Keynesian-inspired Japanese economic policy may positively impact a specific part of the economy such as demand-side solutions, as mentioned in Keynes’ theory. The Japanese economy is examined by applying the Input-Output (I/O) method in which the aggregated eleven-sector is arranged by using statistical data from the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI). Firstly, our analysis focuses mainly on the updated 2012 domestic I/O table in order to understand the Japanese economic structure by examining final demand elements and eleven sectors, associated with the Leontief method. Secondly, this paper then investigated comparing with Abenomics representing by a mix of the new Keynesian and neoliberal policies in order to comparatively analyzed between the current economic structure and the economic policy and lastly provided some discussions to figure out in perspective of how to solve some economic issues. Therefore, not only did this paper delineate three scenarios/keys through dominant final demand which account for the public consumption expenditures (PUCE) and the public gross fixed capital formation (PUGFC); the target of the growth rate -the automobile sector through PUGFC-, the employment rate -the commerce sector through PUCE-, and the import rate -the commerce sector through PUCE- based on the results of the data analyzed, but also comparatively examined Abenomics in order to provide some possible policy paths which highlight the demand-side remedies for the economic issues; structural reform in the fiscal sustainability, mainly wage increase (especially low and middle incomes), working practice (bringing back the mutual work environment), and fair tax system.