{"id":6936,"date":"2017-04-04T16:10:13","date_gmt":"2017-04-04T10:40:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/?p=6936"},"modified":"2023-01-06T13:54:29","modified_gmt":"2023-01-06T07:54:29","slug":"japans-economic-challenges-stagnate-scientific-output","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/japans-economic-challenges-stagnate-scientific-output\/","title":{"rendered":"Japan\u2019s Economic Challenges Stagnate Scientific Output"},"content":{"rendered":"

According to recent reports, academic research coming out of Japan has been declining over the past decade. Both the Nature Index database and Clarivate Analytics\u2019 Web of Science database show that Japan\u2019s contributions to reputable scientific journals<\/a> have dropped off. Specifically, the number of publications by Japanese researchers has dropped by 8.3% in the last five years resulting in fewer articles published in 2015 than in 2005 in 11 out of 14 fields. In addition, information from Elsevier\u2019s Scopus database shows that, despite an 80% increase in articles overall from 2005-2015, Japan\u2019s productivity grew by only 14%, decreasing its share of global output from 7.4% to 4.7%. So what is going on?<\/p>\n

Japan has experienced 20 years or more of deflation and recession, with massive government debt, rising commodity prices, and an aging labor pool, according to The Balance. The government has not matched its main competitors\u2019 investment in research institutions or in research and development in general. Reports from ScienceMag show that South Korea has become the world’s most R&D-intensive country in 2012, spending around 4.36% of its GDP on R&D and is closely followed by China. Therefore, both these nations have been attracting far more international researchers. This general economic decline and lack of investment in scientific research and research and development directly correlate\u00a0to Japan\u2019s decline in contributions to academic research in the most renowned journals.<\/p>\n

Japan\u2019s Natural Disasters<\/h2>\n

The Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of March 2011 are not mentioned in the recent discussions of Japan\u2019s stagnant scientific output, but it is certainly a factor in Japan\u2019s overall economic climate and, therefore, a contributing factor in the area of research funding. The tsunami cost Japan nearly $360 billion dollars<\/a> in losses and has been called the most expensive disaster in human history. The tsunami has had an immediate effect on Japan\u2019s supply and production networks resulting in twenty-two plants being closed. In addition, the meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant resulted in the tragic radiation poisoning of humans, agriculture, and water. Because of public outcry, all Japanese nuclear reactors were shut down for testing and review or maintenance. Two re-opened in 2015.<\/p>\n

Nuclear power had been Japan\u2019s main source of electrical power. Without it, the government had to resort to importing oil as an alternative fuel. This contributed to a trade deficit of $78 billion in 2012. Despite the government\u2019s reassurances that its nuclear power plants operate under the strictest safety regulations, the population is still reeling from the disaster and, therefore, slow to trust.<\/p>\n

The cost of rebuilding the Tohoku region was estimated at $18 billion, according to the Brookings report. Factor that cost into an already struggling economy and one can see how science research funding may not receive top priority in the country\u2019s budget. Nevertheless, Japanese scientific research won\u2019t be in a permanent state of stagnation.<\/p>\n

Japan Revitalization Strategy<\/h2>\n

In June 2013, the Japanese Cabinet officially approved Prime Minister Shinzo Abe\u2019s economic policy entitled, \u201cJapan Revitalization Strategy.\u201d In June 2015<\/a>, the policy was revamped to include objectives such as increasing the number of women in the workforce and boosting tourism, but it also includes objectives in the area of science:<\/p>\n