{"65274":{"#nid":"65274","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Woodall quoted in article about Japan in Bloomberg Businessweek","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\nAssociate Professor Brian Woodall was quoted in a recent article about Japan in Bloomberg Businessweek, \u0022Rebuilding Japan, Without the Graft\u0022.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECan the government rein in the country\u0027s big construction firms, or zenekon, which still wield an outsize influence?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe half-century that followed the end of World War II compelled an almost uninterrupted construction binge in Japan. The outside world thinks of Japan rising to the world\u0027s second-largest economy as being built on cars and electronics, but a good portion of it was built on building.  The strength of the zenekon - large construction companies - ensures that Japan is ready to rebuild quickly in the wake of its latest catastrophe. But the sector, while a point of pride catered to by the nation\u0027s elected leaders and bureaucrats, isn\u0027t always a force for good. Proof lies all over Japan - in pointless and costly endeavors.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe ruling Democratic Party of Japan came to power in 2009 promising an end to wasteful public works projects and the cozy relationships between zenekon and politicians. The rebuilding of northeastern Japan following the Mar. 11 earthquake and the resulting tsunami and nuclear crisis will test that commitment. \u0022They\u0027re going to have to contract out these projects in quick order, and that means companies with really tight ties to the contracting agency get the project,\u0022 says \u003Cstrong\u003EBrian Woodall\u003C\/strong\u003E, a political scientist at Georgia Tech and author of Japan Under Construction. \u0022It may be an opportunity for interested and powerful politicians to get involved, and that to me is not a good thing.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe zenekon have traditionally been Japan\u0027s political kingmakers. There have been questionable interactions between politics and industry, including generous sums of monetary donations and yakuza crime syndicates, etc.  In his book, \u003Cstrong\u003EWoodall\u003C\/strong\u003E describes a construction minister from the 1960s, Kono Ichiro, who would only meet with executives at his home after they paid a kutsunugidai (\u0022shoe removal fee\u0022), a zabutondai (\u0022floor cushion fee\u0022), and a nantokadai (\u0022something-or-other fee\u0022) for specific \u0022favors\u0022 in return.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E**Read \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.businessweek.com\/magazine\/content\/11_14\/b4222012984187.htm?campaign_id=magazine_related\u0022\u003Efull article\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDr. Brian Woodall is an Associate Professor with The Sam Nunn School of International Affairs. His research focus includes comparative politics with an emphasis on Japan and East Asia, international relations, and political economy. His current research projects explore energy security in East Asia, campaign finance and political corruption in Japan, and the evolution of Japanese democracy.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAssociate Professor Brian Woodall was quoted in a recent article about Japan in Bloomberg Businessweek, \u0022Rebuilding Japan, Without the Graft\u0022.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"\u0022Rebuilding Japan, Without the Graft\u0022"}],"uid":"27184","created_gmt":"2011-03-31 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:08:30","author":"Jene Gladstone","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-03-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2011-03-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"65275":{"id":"65275","type":"image","title":"Associate Professor Brian Woodall","body":null,"created":"1449176801","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:06:41","changed":"1475894577","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:57","alt":"Associate Professor Brian Woodall","file":{"fid":"192210","name":"tht78595.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tht78595_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tht78595_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":50353,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tht78595_0.jpg?itok=3-9Q-FXh"}}},"media_ids":["65275"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.businessweek.com\/magazine\/content\/11_14\/b4222012984187.htm?campaign_id=magazine_related","title":"Full Article"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.inta.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff\/listing.php?uID=40","title":"Brian Woodall Bio"}],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"12591","name":"Bloomberg Businessweek"},{"id":"12590","name":"Brian Woodall"},{"id":"999","name":"IAC"},{"id":"851","name":"INTA"},{"id":"751","name":"Japan"},{"id":"12592","name":"Rebuilding Japan"},{"id":"12593","name":"Without the Graft"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMarilu Suarez\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESam Nunn School of International Affairs\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:marilu.suarez@inta.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EContact Marilu Suarez\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-3195\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["marilu.suarez@inta.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}