At GRIPS Forum on December 25, 2023, Dr. Yuri Okina, Chairperson, The Japan Research Institute, Ltd. and Dr. Noriyuki Yanagawa, Professor, the Faculty of Economics, University of Tokyo, joined GRIPS President Hiroko Ota to discuss “Growth Prospects for the Japanese Economy”.

Abstract:

As 2023 draws to a close, Japan is showing relatively good corporate performance and a strong stock market. This strong outlook is compromised to some extent by signs of structural weakness in the Japanese economy, such as slow digitalization and low productivity.

In this forum, Yuri Okina and Noriyuki Yanagawa, who have the strongest influence on the government's economic policies, join GRIPS President Hiroko Ota to discuss problems currently affecting the Japanese economy and Japanese companies, and what factors should be addressed to enable the Japanese economy to recover its strength. In particular, the discussion will focus on the weakening of the innovation capacity of Japanese companies at a time when Japan is undergoing digital transformation and investing in human resources.

Speaker:

Dr. Yuri Okina,
Chairperson, The Japan Research Institute, Ltd.

Profile:

Okina is Chairperson of the Japan Research Institute where she was previously the research director and chief senior economist. She has published extensively on Japan’s financial systems, most recent of which is the “Financial Crisis and Prudential Policy” (Nihonkeizaishinbun Shuppansha, 2010). She is a member of various groups such as the Financial System Council of the Financial Services Agency and the New Form of Capitalism Realization of Cabinet Secretariat.　She was a Visiting Professor of Keio University and has a Doctor degree in Economics from Kyoto University.

Dr. Noriyuki Yanagawa,
Professor, the Faculty of Economics, University of Tokyo

Profile:

Noriyuki Yanagawa received his Ph.D. from the Graduate School of Economics, University of Tokyo. After serving as Associate Professor at Keio University, joined the Faculty of Economics, University of Tokyo as Associate Professor in 1996. Has been Professor in 2011. He also serves as an expert member of Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy, Japanese Government, Member of Council for the Realization of a New Form of Capitalism, Chief of Center for Real Estate Innovation(CREI), the University of Tokyo.

Hiroko Ota,
President of the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS)

Profile:

After serving as associate professor at Saitama University, professor, vice president and senior professor at GRIPS, Ms. Ota assumed the current position in September 2022. She also served as a minister of state for economic and fiscal policy in the Abe and Fukuda cabinets (2006~08). She specializes in economic and public finance policy.

What is GRIPS Forum?

Since its establishment in 1997, the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) has promoted research and education on a wide variety of policy issues. The GRIPS Forum invites specialists from national and local governments as well as academic and business communities to promote policy studies and expand policy networks.