Japanese Industrial Development and Policies for Science and Technology

Abstract

Two important factors that contributed to Japan's economic success were government investment in industrial development and the early recognition that a good educational system is a prerequisite to technological progress. Government policies promoted the importation of technologies from Europe and North America and encouraged the education of students abroad. This facilitated the rapid development of Japanese industry and the adaptation of foreign technologies to local conditions. Many of the methods used to develop industry in Japan could be used to advantage in developing countries today.