Introduction to the Special Issue : Examining the Reality of the Plan to Build a Society in Which All 100 Million People Play an Active Role

Abstract

The Plan to Build a Society in Which All 100 Million People Play an Active Role, propagated by Abe Government since 2015, can be termed a “liberal” labor and social policy with elements of pro-labor initiatives. Of course, the results can only be known in the future after several years of implementation of the new measures. In the meantime, observers are presenting a wide range of speculations as to whether or not the policy package will fundamentally change the employment system and labor market. Scholars will need to begin preparing evaluation studies that clarify the basis for the ongoing speculations. I contend that it is important to maintain a comprehensive view of the Japanese labor market, envisaging it as composed of various groups of workers, not just those who work for large corporations. Another point the author seeks to examine here is whether the Plan can play a key role in leading the entire economic policy agenda of the Abe Government by checking recent trends in public investments and public financing for balancing regional tax base differences. It seems that the actual policies implemented through public investment have followed typical “old populist” patterns. For example, the Government allows investment to build new Shinkansen lines that will never be economical but will please political constituents of LDP including construction industry. The Government also has undertaken a new policy that allows local governments to attract donations that bring tax exemptions by offering expensive “presents,” a policy that can be termed “neo-populist”. Thus the economic policies of the Government cannot be termed neither liberal nor neo-liberal but can be called ‘neo-populist’ overall.