What is the economy like in Japan?

Department store complex in a fashionable shopping district of Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. The Japanese economy is the fourth-largest in the world, as measured by gross domestic product (GDP). Japan has a market economy that grew extraordinarily quickly for several decades after World War II.

What is the economic history of Japan?

The economic history of Japan is one of the most studied. Major milestones in modern Japan's economic progress include: The beginning of the Edo period coincides with the last decades of the Nanban trade period, marked by intense interaction with European powers.

Will Japan become a 'normal' economy?

Now, Japan’s central bankers and government officials say the country is at a historic inflection point and may finally become a “normal” economy. Companies will be able to pass on increased costs to consumers in the form of higher prices, and workers will respond by demanding better pay.