Why has Japanese capitalism disappeared from our debates, when it had been put on a pedestal as a paragon during the 1980s? And how did a symbol of this model of enterprise like Toyota become the first in the world in its sector, despite the stagnation that suppressed the Japanese economy during the 1990s?

Does there exist an optimal model of business organization in Japan, and how could it maintain their technological advancement, even reinforce it, in an increasingly uncompetitive and uncertain environment? Can developing countries retain a comparative advantage in industries faced with the power of Chinese manufacturing, and what role does the educational system play in an "information" society? Finally, if the cycle of generalized deregulation has perhaps come to an end, how do we perceive the relationship between the state and the market and redefine the social contract in a context of rising inequalities?

This analysis of a profound transformation of Japanese capitalism from the perspective of economic policy, along with a reflection on the diversity of capitalisms and on institutional change, shows that Japan is still a subject of study capable of illuminating the big issues of the global economy.