MITI Minister Kaoru Yosano on reviving Japan's competitive advantage
本文是对日本通产大臣与谢野馨的访谈，他分享了如何改革日本经济、通产省在重振产业竞争力中的作用以及日本企业竞争优势的可持续性。
Japan's Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) has made significant contributions to the country's economic development and growth in the post-World War II period through its industry policy and control. However, Japan's prolonged economic recession has battered the country's industries and its competitiveness has dropped significantly since the collapse of the bubble economy in the early 1990s. The World Competitiveness Yearbook 1999 of the International Institute for Management Development ranks Japan's competitiveness as 16th, a dramatic decline from its top ranking a decade earlier. In order to improve the country's industrial competitiveness, the government of Japan has formulated an overall industry revival plan, “Strategies for Reviving the Japanese Economy.” It also has established several specialized advisory committees, such as the Competitiveness Commission and the Economic Strategy Council. which report to the prime minister. Kaoru Yosano played a leading role in Japan's economic reform. In the following interview, Mr. Yosano shares his views on how to reform the Japanese economy, the role of MITI in reviving the country's industrial competitiveness, and the sustainability of the competitive advantages of Japanese corporations. Mr. Yosano graduated from Tokyo University with a bachelor's degree in law in 1963. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1976. After serving as the chairman of several standing committees in the House, Mr. Yosano was appointed minister of education in 1994 and minister of MITI in 1998. He remained in that post—and was minister when this interview was conducted—until October 5, 1999, when a new cabinet was formed.