This two-volume book, a revision and translation of a multi-disciplinary research project carried out by the Institute of Social Science at the University of Tokyo, analyzes the Japanese political economy from an historical perspective in order to provide a balanced view between the optimism of the 1980s and the pessimism of the 1990s. Paying particular attention to the changes in Japan's contemporary political economy that have come "from below," the authors consider marginalized social actors such as opposition parties, the aged, and female and foreign workers alongside more mainstream players such as the governing party, large corporations, and labor unions. Finally, the book examines the strong influence of the Japanese political economy on the global economy.