Includes bibliographical references (p. 178-190) and index.

Introduction
Evolving Policy Preferences in Antidumping Policy
Social Demand and State Capability in Safeguard Policy
Japan and the Asian Financial Crisis: The Developmental Initiatives
Japan and Regional Industrial Transformation: The Strategic Responses
The Liberal Democratic Party, Finance Ministry and Regional Cooperation
Japan and China in Regional Cooperation
Conclusion

This book examines how Japan has changed its economic policy towards and economic relationship with East Asia since the mid-1990s by looking at Japan's policy towards anti-dumping and safeguard issues, the Asian financial crisis, regional industrial evolutions, and regionalism in East Asia. The author argues that recent regional evolutions have produced proactive and strategic reactions in Japan's regional economic policy. While the Japanese government has taken proactive initiatives in response to the regional evolutions by demonstrating substantial commitments to sustaining the sound development of the regional economies, it has become more strategic in preserving its national interests in the rapid industrial transformation. Significantly, these proactive and strategic initiatives and policies were partially undermined by reactive moves that sprung from immobile and regressive domestic political institutions in Japan.