Japan is the world's third largest economy and the United States' fourth largest trading partner,
and is a major destination for foreign direct investment (FDI). After nearly two decades of
deflation and low growth, Japan’s economy is showing signs of new vitality. The Liberal
Democratic Party (LDP) Government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, elected in December 2012
on a platform of economic recovery and revitalization, has undertaken an ambitious program
comprised of fiscal stimulus, monetary easing, and a reform-focused “growth strategy” to get
Japan’s economy moving again.