N15 - Economic History: Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations: Asia including Middle EastReturn

After a sharp contraction in the economic activity in 2008-2009 (the biggest economic slump in Japan after World War II), the Japanese economy started to recover in 2010. The Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami of March 2011 brought Japan's recovery to a halt. It ruined vast parts of Japan's north-eastern coastal areas and damaged key infrastructure. It was one of the most destructive earthquakes in all of the Japanese history. This article focuses on the Japanese economy and its development in 2010-2012. It pays special attention to the economic impact of the earthquake and tsunami of March 2011 (damage to private capital and public infrastructure, electricity shortages, supply chain disruptions, decline in production and exports, etc.). The aim of this study is to recapitulate and analyse the development of the Japanese economy in 2010-2012 and to analyse both the immediate and long-term impacts of the Great East Japan Earthquake on the Japanese economy. It focuses on the government countermeasures and new economic strategies with respect to the latest natural disaster.

This article focuses on the Japanese economy and its development in 2007-2010. It pays special attention to the deep economic crisis in 2008-2009 (the biggest economic slump in Japan after World War II). Factors of this crisis were mostly external (strong decline in Japanese exports and foreign inward investment due to the falling external demand, instability and strong uncertainty in the world economy during the financial crisis in the USA and other developed countries). Nevertheless, the economic slump in Japan was fuelled by low domestic demand and investment as well. The aim of this study is to remind of and analyse the most important trends, achievements and problems of the Japanese economy in 2007-2010. It focuses especially on the economic crisis in 2008-2009, development of Japanese external trade during the crisis and the governmental countermeasures, both fiscal and monetary. The study outlines the development of the Japanese economy both before and after the crisis.

Right after the establishment of Czechoslovakia, it was evident that foreign trade would play an important role in the economy of the new state. The narrow domestic market forced Czechoslovak producers to look for new foreign sales opportunities. With respect to historical ties, they were mainly interested in exports to succession states and Germany. However, the post-war conditions did not favour a considerable export expansion hampered by high tariff barriers restricting access to the markets of succession states. The second half of the 1920s became the most successful phase in the development of interwar export. To a large extent, Czechoslovak enterprises showed good adaptability to changes in foreign demand and took advantage of the contemporaneous boom in world trade. By contrast, the Great Depression disclosed the unfavourable consequences of Czechoslovakia's dependency on export results. Unfortunately, a slow reaction of both the Czechoslovak government and industry to the new situation, together with other problems, led to decreasing Czechoslovakia's share in total European exports.

This article deals with the situation in the Chinese economy at the time of communist takeover. It brings a basic characteristic of the Chinese economy including its large problems. The study is also trying to analyse the first steps of the new communist government that immediately impacted on the Chinese economy. It aims at providing readers with an unbiased view of economic situation that could help them with forming their own opinion of new economic strategy's success (or failure).