This volume examines how Japan should cope with its daunting fiscal challenges. As the Japanese economy finally emerges from a long period of weak growth and falling prices burdened by record-high public debt, fiscal adjustment has taken center stage in the policy agenda and the public debate. Growing demands on the budget from a rapidly aging society have added urgency to the need to rein in public indebtedness and revamp the pension and health care systems. This book combines insights from academic research with the points of view of policymakers to distill the key issues needed to inform the policy debate. For more information on how to purchase a copy of this title, please visit http://www.palgrave.com/economics/imf/index.asp.