A Comparative Perspective of Risk Management in the United States and Japan

A comparative analysis of risk management approaches in the United States and Japan is presented. Generally speaking, risk management institutions and authorities in both countries confront similar difficulties in each aspect of risk management, from identification to regulation and resolution. However, there are important differences between the two countries in the approaches and the sources utilized to manage risks. The Japanese tendency to use administrative guidance, informal persuation, and education in its governance activities contrasts sharply with the more open and adversarial policy-making process in the United States. These general characteristics of governance carry squarely over into each country's characteristic risk management processes.