Neoliberalism, risk, and spatial governance in the developmental state: Japanese planning in the global economy

Although neoliberalism seems diametrically opposed to the Developmental State ideology at first glance, actually-existing Developmental States in East Asia have vigorously applied neoliberal logic to their planning policy during the last two decades. This paper follows Japan’s neoliberal planning strategy between 1980 and 2007, analyzing its rationale, practice, and impacts on society. The impacts of Japan’s neoliberal reforms remind us that the market economy requires a significant amount of state supervision and regulatory controls to protect the public from the kind of risk it generates. Furthermore, Japan’s experience also illustrates how the concept of “risk” is not neutral in policymaking.