Japanese Investment in the World Economy

A Study of Strategic Themes in the Internationalisation of Japanese Industry

Roger Farrell, Centre Associate, Australia–Japan Research Centre, College of Asia and the Pacific, The Australian National University

This book examines Japanese Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the world economy over more than five decades. It provides a unique focus on the internationalisation experience of selected industries, such as forestry, textiles, electronics, motor vehicles, steel and services as well as case studies of individual firms.

Japanese Investment in the World Economy is distinctive in that it examines overseas investment by firms in the primary, manufacturing and services sectors over the period in which the Japanese economy became the second largest in the world.

‘As the title suggests, this is an ambitious book. Broad in scope and rich in detail, it examines the rise and fall of Japanese foreign direct investment (FDI) in nearly two dozen industries, from electronics and automobile manufacturing to real estate and construction services, in almost every region of the world over the past half century or more. The result is an encyclopedic volume (459 pages with index). . . useful for East Asian business scholars or those interested in the overseas activities of Japanese firms. Farrell has written. . . a sweeping survey of Japanese FDI.’
– Walter Hatch, Journal of Japanese Studies

”罗杰·法雷尔写了重量y compendium on Japanese direct foreign investment. At over 450 pages it covers the full array of Japan’s diverse industries and sectors, from fisheries and lumber to steel and automobiles, and in the service industries from banking to telecommunications. Apart from the breadth of coverage, this work is even more remarkable considering that Japanese multinationals and their overseas investments have been largely “under the radar” of social scientists of late, especially so since the ascent of China in the early years of the present decade.’
– David W. Edgington, Growth and Change

‘Enhanced with indexes, appendixes, and editorial opinions on the subject, Japanese Investment in the World Economy is a complete and comprehensive scholarly reference, ideal for college and community library economics collections.’
– Midwest Book Review – The Economics Shelf