Global Governance and Japan: The Institutional Architecture

Leading specialists from Europe and Japan examine the institutional mechanisms of governance at the global level and provide concrete evidence of the role Japan plays in these institutions. An excellent introduction to the concept of global governance, the volume analyzes how global governance actually works through the global institutional mechanisms of governance. It provides an up-to-date and contemporary analysis of the six most important global institutions, namely:

• the Group of 7/8
• the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
• the World Bank
• the International Monetary Fund
• the World Trade Organization
• the United Nations.

Written clearly and concisely, the book provides a thorough and accessible discussion on Japan’s role within these institutions and uses supporting case studies to ask whether Japan is reactively or proactively involved in trying to shape these institutions in order to promote its own interests. As such, it will be a valuable resource for undergraduates and scholars with an interest in global governance, Japanese politics and political economy.

Glenn D. Hook is Professor of Japanese Politics and International Relations and Director of the Graduate School of East Asian Studies at the University of Sheffield, UK.

Hugo Dobson is Senior Lecturer in Japan’s International Relations in the School of East Asian Studies at the University of Sheffield and at the National Institute of Japanese Studies, UK.