Japan 1964: Back to the Future
This CSIS event is in celebration of 1964, a year when three significant developments took place in Japan: the country joined the OECD, Tokyo hosted the Olympics, and Japan National Railways launched the Shinkansen bullet train. All three of these events have echoes today. Having entered the club of advanced economies 50 years ago, Japan, like many mature countries, now faces the challenge of restoring economic dynamism. Tokyo will once again host the Olympics in 2020 – could this be the magic “fourth arrow” of Abenomics?
And contrary to perceptions outside Japan, the country continues to be at the cutting edge in sectors ranging from high-speed rail to biotechnology and advanced composite materials. This conference will go “back to the future” to look at developments in Japan along all three of these tracks over the past half century, and explore how they influence Japan’s future prospects.
Schedule:
9:00 – 9:05 am Welcoming Remarks
John J. Hamre, President and CEO, and The Pritzker Chair
9:05 – 9:10 am Introductory Remarks
Nobuo Kishi, Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Japan
9:10 – 9:40 am Keynote Address
Charles H. Rivkin, Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs
9:40 – 10:55 am Restoring Japan’s Economic Dynamism through the 3rd and 4th Arrows
Hugh Patrick, Director, Center on Japanese Economy & Business, Columbia University
Stephan Danninger, Division Chief for Japan, International Monetary Fund
Takashi Omori, Chief Professor, Tokyo City University
Matthew P. Goodman (moderator), William E. Simon Chair in Political Economy, CSIS
10:55 – 11:05 am Break
11:05 – 12:15 pm From Bullet Trains to Robots: Extending Japan’s Technological Leadership
Ed Gresser, Executive Director, Progressive Economy Project, GlobalWorks Foundation
Katsuhiko (Kevin) Ichikawa, General Manager, Central Japan Railway Company
Eric Lundell, President and COO, ITTA
Christopher G. Caine (moderator), President & CEO, Mercator XXI, LLC
12:15 – 12:30 pm Luncheon
12:30 – 1:15 pm Keynote Address
H.E. Kenichiro Sasae, Ambassador of Japan to the United States
Please RSVP to simon.chair@csis.org.
