JHU SAIS and METI to Host Conference on Restructuring Japan's Economy

The Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and Japan's Ministry of Economics, Trade and Industry (METI) will co-sponsor a conference, "Restructuring the Japanese Economy: Why and How," on Monday, 03/26 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

At a time of growing concern about the Japanese economy, this conference addresses the crucial issue of economic restructuring in Japan. The market turbulence in recent days has underlined the crucial impact that developments in Japan can have on world markets. Successful economic restructuring is essential for Japan to reemerge as an engine of economic growth, to support a larger role for Japan in Asia and to manage the social costs of Japan's aging population. The conference brings together both leading academic experts on the Japanese economy from Japan and the U.S. as well private sector leaders involved in mergers and acquisitions in Japan.

Conference schedule:

9-9:10 a.m.-Welcome by SAIS Interim Dean Stephen Szabo and Tadakatsu Sano, director general, Trade Policy, METI

9:10-10:30 a.m.- Panel 1 "Economic Restructuring: The Why"

· Nobuo Tanaka (moderator), executive director, METI Research Institute

· David Asher, senior fellow, American Enterprise Institute

· Robert Dugger, managing director, Tudor Investment Corp.

· Mitsuhiro Fukao, professor of economics, Keio University

· Edward Lincoln, senior fellow, Brookings Institution

10:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m.-Panel 2 "Economic Restructuring: The How"

· Karl Jackson (moderator), Asian Studies director, SAIS

· Frank Bruno, president, Cerberus, Japan

· Richard Gitlin, partner, Bingham Dana LLP

· Tatsuya Terazawa, director, Economic Policy Unit, METI

· Kiyoyuki Tsujimura, managing director, NTT DoCoMo

12:30 p.m.-Lunch (invitation only but open to the press)-Kaoru Yosano, former minister of the Ministry of Trade and Industry (now METI)

The conference, open to the public, will be held in Kenney Auditorium located on the first floor of SAIS' Nitze Building, 1740 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. The conference is co-sponsored by SAIS and METI's Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI) with support from Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) New York.

For more information, contact Felisa Klubes in the SAIS Public Affairs Office at (202) 663-5626 or [email protected].