Publications

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"Abenomics and Japan’s Growth Prospects"

Until 2012, Japan had suffered two decades of economic stagnation and deflation. Particularly frustrating to businesses was the rampant appreciation of the yen, which accelerated despite such poor growth and the earthquake and tsunami of...

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"Wahlen in Japan 2012" (Japan Elections 2012 - growing frustration with the established parties)

In the Japanese elections of 2012 the governing Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) suffered major losses and has now become one of several medium-sized factions. The main reason for this election outcome is popular discontent with the past...

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"Die Gewerkschaften in Japan" (The Japanese Trade Unions)

The organisational sophistication of Japanese trade unions has been in notable decline since the 1960s. Especially the growing number of workers in precarious employment is hardly organised in unions. This paper analyses legislation that...

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New leaders - old politics? Presidential elections of DPJ and LDP and their effect on Japanese politics

Prime Minister Noda was confirmed as chairman of governing party DPJ in September 2012, however he faces continuing resistance from parts of his own party as well as the opposition. Shinzo Abe from the Liberal-Democratic Party (LDP) was...

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Japanese translation of Statement by SPD-Troika: "Finding a way out of the crisis – growth and employment in Europe"

The economic and social costs of narrowly austerity-focused policy-making, i.e. of a singular focusing on budgetary discipline, are highly destructive – indeed, they threaten European unity. This is evident in the observation that in the...

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Japan one Year after the Earthquake, Tsunami and Nuclear Accident

One year has passed since a level 9 earthquake hit Japan’s North-East and caused a tsunami that devastated several cities and villages and took almost 20,000 lives, and subsequently to which the catastrophe at the Fukushima power plant...

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"Japan's Quest for a Permanent Seat on the United Nations Security Council Japan 2012"

In the United Nations, particularly with respect to UN Security Council reform, Japan is often considered of major importance. However, the UN receives scant attention in Japanese foreign policy. This paper critically analyses Japanese...

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Japanese translation of "Germany in and with and for Europe"

Speech by former Chancellor Helmut Schmidt on European integration, held at the SPD party convention in Berlin, 2011.

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"The end of nuclear energy? International perspectives after Fukushima"

The nuclear disaster in Fukushima is an opportunity to organise energy supply more sustainably globally. Such re-organisation must balance the goals of energy security, economic viability, ecological sustainability and social...

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Japanese translation of "Scenarios for Phasing Out Nuclear Energy in Germany"

The exit from nuclear energy planned by the German government presents a number of opportunities and challenges. This study shows that consumer electricity prices and economic competitiveness are unlikely to be affected severely....