Part I. Comprehensive Views of the Political Economy of Japan.- 1 Fiscal Consolidation in the Political Economy of Japan (Toshihiro Ihori; Comment, Keigo Kameda).- 2 The Political Economy of Social Security Funding: Why Social VAT Reform? (Hideki Konishi; Comment, Naomi Miyazato).- Part II. Fiscal Problems in Japan.- 3. Female Labor Supply, Social Security, and Fiscal Consolidation (Ryuta Ray Kato and Masumi Kawade; Comment, Masatoshi Jinno).- 4 Fiscal...