The public is invited to the following lecture. A 1,000 yen donation from non-members would be appreciated, but is not required.

Place: Shibuya Kyoiku Gakuen (1-21-18 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo150-0002)
About 10 minutes on foot from Shibuya Station (JR East Exit; subway Miyamasu Exit 10 or 11; or 15 minutes from Omotesando Station, Exit B2; or 15 minutes from Meiji-Jingumae Station, Exit 4. The road forking right from Meiji-dori is quite obvious, and the Gakuen is the first big building after a row of shops, with a waterfall streaming down one wall.)

Information: ASJ Office

Asiatic Society of Japan
February 19th (Monday, 6:30 p.m.)
Speaker: Prof. Makoto Taniguchi
Subject: Japan and Asia in a new Global Age: Can Asia become the most dynamic centre of the world economy in the 21st century?

According to the OECD study "The World in 2020: Towards a New Global Age", which Prof. Taniguchi directed, globalization will bring drastic changes to the world economy, and a considerable economic power shift will take place from the present developed countries to developing economies towards 2020. There were many economists who strongly voiced opposing views or scepticism about the study, even within the OECD secretariat. Most of the opposing views were strongly influenced by that of Prof. Paul Krugman, who predicted that East Asia's rapid economic growth would soon come to an end. There are, of course, no miracles in economic growth, and Asia is no exception. Asia has experienced a serious financial crisis in recent years, and has had to pay dearly before recovering. In the long run, the countries of Asia may face more serious problems in fields such as population, energy, food and resources, if they want to continue at high rates of growth. In the end, all these problems may culminate in a massive deterioration of the environment in Asia, in particular in overpopulated countries such as China, India and Indonesia. This environmental problem may become the most serious obstacle to sustainable growth in the coming decades. Asia has to overcome these obstacles if it is to become the most dynamic centre of the world economy in the 21st century. In his paper, Prof. Taniguchi will focus on how Japan and Asia can cooperate to overcome these obstacles and attain sustainable growth in Asia.

Professor Taniguchi received his B.A. and M.A. from Hitotsubashi University, and then proceeded to Cambridge, where he was a member of St. John's College and received his B.A. in 1958. He entered the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1959.

He has had a unique diplomatic career, serving mainly in international organizations such as the United Nations, GATT and OECD. From 1966-68 he served in the United Nations ECAFE (now ESCAP) secretariat in Bangkok. In 1981, when he was Minister in the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations in New York, he chaired the UN Conference on New and Renewable Sources of Energy. From 1986-89 he was Ambassador of Japan to the United Nations. In 1987 he chaired Committee I (Financial Resources) of UNCTAD VII. He was also President of the Executive Board of UNICEF. From 1990-96 he served as Deputy Secretary-General of OECD in Paris.

Following his retirement from the diplomatic service he was appointed professor in the Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies at Waseda University, and is at present Director of the Research Institute of Current Chinese Affairs at the same university. He is also teaching at International Christian University and Toyo Eiwa Women's University.

Adapted from "The Asiatic Society of Japan Bulletin No. 2", February 2001, compiled by Prof. Hugh E. Wilkinson and Mrs. Doreen Simmons.

Return to the ASJ 2001 lecture schedule