Japan's regional geoeconomic strategy -- Foreign economic policy, domestic institutions and regional governance -- Geoeconomics of the Asia-Pacific -- Transformation in the Japanese political economy -- Trade and investment : a gradual path -- Money and finance : an uneven path -- Development and foreign aid : a hybrid path.

Create the cutest versions of your favorite dogs in just a few simple steps with this easy to use needle felting book. Whether you adore dachshunds or dalmatians, you’ll be surprised at how easy it is to make charming miniatures of them with a felting needle and some raw wool in this easy how to needle felt guide. Great for beginners, the two dozen projects in Little Felted Dogs provide surprisingly life-like results—choose from a litter of golden retriever puppies, a pug ready to fetch, a begging bulldog, a protective chihuahua, and more. Even better, you’ll go from ball of fluff to perfect pooch in no time at all!

Saori and Misato Takarai know exactly what it means to be "Manga Sisters." The two artists grew up in Tokyo and, like most siblings, learned how to be both competitive and compassionate as they dealt with parents, teachers, boyfriends and - perhaps most difficult of all - each other. Now, they share their secrets of manga sisterhood in this delightful new illustrated book from Manga University. Featuring 40 original full-color manga illustrations and text in both English and Japanese, this deluxe hardcover edition makes the perfect gift for just about everyone who has ever had a sister.

Bolder economic policy could have addressed the persistent bouts of deflation in post-bubble Japan, write Gene Park, Saori N. Katada, Giacomo Chiozza, and Yoshiko Kojo in Taming Japan's Deflation. Despite warnings from economists, intense political pressure, and well-articulated unconventional policy options to address this problem, Japan's central bank, the Bank of Japan (BOJ), resisted taking the bold actions that the authors believe would have significantly helped. With Prime Minister Abe Shinzo's return to power, Japan finally shifted course at the start of 2013 with the launch of Abenomics—an economic agenda to reflate the economy—and Abe's appointment of new leadership at the BOJ. As Taming Japan's Deflation shows, the BOJ's resistance to experimenting with bolder policy stemmed from entrenched policy ideas that were hostile to activist monetary policy. The authors explain how these policy ideas evolved over the course of the BOJ's long history and gained dominance because of the closed nature of the broader policy network. The explanatory power of policy ideas and networks suggests a basic inadequacy in the dominant framework for analysis of the politics of monetary policy derived from the literature on central bank independence. This approach privileges the interaction between political principals and their supposed agents, central bankers; but Taming Japan's Deflation shows clearly that central bankers' views, shaped by ideas and institutions, can be decisive in determining monetary policy. Through a combination of institutional analysis, quantitative empirical tests, in-depth case studies, and structured comparison of Japan with other countries, the authors show that, ultimately, the decision to adopt aggressive monetary policy depends largely on the bankers' established policy ideas and policy network.

An unacknowledged key feature of East Asian FTA diplomacy is the region's active cross-regional preferential trading relations. In sharp contrast to the Americas and Europe, where cross-regional initiatives gained strength after the consolidation of regional trade integration, East Asian governments negotiate trade deals with partners outside of their region at an early stage in their FTA policies. The book asks three main questions: Are there regional factors in East Asia encouraging countries to explore cross-regionalism early on? What are the most important criteria behind the cross-regional partner selection? How do cross-regional FTSs (CRTAs) influence their intra-regional trade initiatives? Through detailed country case studies from China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, we show the ways in which these governments seek to leverage their CRTAs in the pursuit of intra-regional trade integration objectives, a process that yields a much more permeated regionalism.

Every item is a little sweeter when it’s made with materials that are just right, and the soft, warm, and durable nature of wool felt makes it the perfect material for the little ones in your life. The twenty-five felted projects in this book—from soft play mats and warm wool vests to snuggly teddy bears and cozy baby booties—will add a touch of warm and fuzzy delight to your baby’s life. Using just two easy techniques—wet felting and needle felting—you can easily transform raw wool into innumerable objects that will please your baby’s senses and last as your child grows. Clear step-by-step instruction and detailed diagrams make felting easy for beginners, while the unique projects and beautiful color photographs will inspire all crafters. Make the projects in this book and add a touch of warmth to your nursery, crib, playroom, and beyond. Projects include: • woolen baby booties—a practical and lovely item any baby will need, • flying bluebirds mobile—a classic gift that both babies and parents will appreciate, • musical clatter balls—a safe toy that will entertain for hours, • warm bottle cover—to help insulate baby’s bottle, • mama’s bag—a capacious holder for diapers, cell phones, and lunch.