This book uses quantitative and historical methods to trace the evolution of the Japanese economy's business network from the prewar period to the end of the century. It addresses whether the controversial "keiretsu" enterprise groupings have outlived their usefulness and are withering away in the face of deregulation, globalization, and market liberalization. While concluding that these relationships are still central to Japanese business, the book also notes that they are much more subordinated to the strategies of individual enterprises than was true of the prewar network economy.