Today, Japan’s monetary and fiscal policies are at a critical juncture with regard to overcoming the deflation that has lasted for nearly 15 years. It is indeed timely for us to look back on the great achievements of our predecessor, who faced and addressed policy challenges similar to those of today, notwithstanding the differing historical circumstances of his time.
Takahashi lived through a very turbulent period, and his life contained enough adventures for any number of episodes on the big screen or television. To give just a few examples, after leaving for the United States as a youth in the late 1860s, he endured a period of indentured servitude.