Yasushi Tanaka is a Professor of Economics in the Faculty of Economics at Kyoto Sangyo University. He is a labour economist with particular interests in human capital theory, OJT, cooperative education, and economic inequality.

Toshiaki Tamaki is a Professor of Economic History at Kyoto Sangyo University, Faculty of Economics. He specializes in economic history of early modern Europe.

Jari Ojala is a Professor of Comparative Business History at the University of Jyväskylä, Department of History and Ethnology. He specializes in maritime and business history.

Jari Eloranta is a Professor of History at the Appalachian State University, USA, and Adjunct Professor (Docent) of Economic History at the University of Jyväskylä. He specializes in comparative economic and business history, especially 19^th and 20^th century government and military spending and conflicts.

Part 1: Introduction 1. Comparing Japanese and Finnish Economies and Societies - Longitudinal Perspectives, Jari Ojala, Yasushi Tanaka, Toshiaki Tamaki, and Jari Eloranta 2. Longitudinal Comparative Historical Analysis: Challenges and Possibilities, Pavel Osinsky and Jari Eloranta Part 2: Welfare Societies 3. Two Paths to Building a Welfare Society: The Development of Work and Family-related Policies in Post-War Finland and Japan, Maare Paloheimo, Kota Sugahara, Tadashi Fukui, and Merja Uotila 4.Higher Education Systems and Labour Market Outcomes in Japan and Finland, 1950 - 2010, Anu Ojala, Yasushi Tanaka and Olli Turunen 5. Military Spending in Japan and Finland: From Warfare to Welfare State, Jari Eloranta and Yasushi Tanaka Part 3: Macroeconomic Policies 6. Macroeconomic Thinking and Policymaking in Post-War Japan and Finland: The Role of Keynesian Macroeconomics, Toshiaki Tamaki and Timo Särkkä 7. Energy Supply and Regulation, Park Seung-Joon and Esa Ruuskanen 8. The Financial Crisis of the 1990s in Finland and Japan, Kari Heimonen, Shigeyoshi Miyagawa and Yoji Morita Part 4: Trade and Industry 9. Finnish-Japanese Trade Relations from Protectionism to Free Trade , 1919 - 2010, Juha Sahi and Kazuhiro Igawa 10. Growth of an Industry: A Comparison of Paper Industry in Japan and Finland, Pasi Sajasalo and Kazuhiro Igawa Part 5: Concluding Remarks 11. Concluding Thoughts on the Finnish-Japanese Comparison, Christopher Lloyd

This book compares two countries with striking parallels in economic and political outcomes, yet with some distinct features in terms of institutional structures, relative size, and culture. Therefore, this book forms a fruitful platform for the study of the similarities and differences in the economic and societal development of Japan and Finland. Despite their geographic distance from one another and the aforementioned differences, both countries experienced rather similar economic and societal development patterns after the Second World War. The study of these societies both individually and through commonalities will provide a unique perspective on the emergence of modern economies and institutions.
The book provides comprehensive coverage on issues such as welfare state formation and society, security and military spending, education system, industrial development, international trade, governmental economic policies, energy solutions, and bubbles and their collapse; thus, issues typical for these countries, as well as most modern states, studied from a longitudinal perspective.
The book aims to answer a fundamental question in social science: Why do there seem to be common trends and developmental paths among countries differing in size, culture, and economic structure? This book will provide insights for those seeking to decipher how the developments in their own countries came about and where they may be headed to.