The Japanese capital markets were liberalized, decontrolled and increasingly opened to foreign participation in the 1970???s. The fixed income market particularly expanded to finance the government fiscal deficits commencing in 1975. However, growth in the non-Government side of the market for Japan has been a more recent phenomenon and a goal of policymakers in Japan and Asia since 1997.
These markets are now second only to those in the United States and dominate the issuance market in the Asian Pacific region. The latter does not surprise since Japan is second only to the United States in debt issuance globally and in recent years has had one of the world??'s largest government bond and interest rate derivatives markets. However, these relationships are not static and the portfolio flows between Japanese fixed income markets, the Asia Pacific region and the rest of the world. This remains a matter of considerable importance for institutional investors, central banks and governments.
The efforts of the authors who have contributed to this volume will measurably add to our understanding of the Japanese Fixed Income Market. This volume is structured into four parts: Macroeconomic Environmental Development, Credit Risk Measures and Management, Interest Rate Analysis and Market Integration sections. There are seventeen chapters in the volume with thirty-one authors, many of whom are prominent in academic and practitioner aspects of the Fixed Income markets field, contributing their insight to this volume.
*A four part volume that adds to the understanding of the Japanese Fixed Income Market
*17 chapters and 31 authors ensure a wide range of expertise and insight
*Focus isplaced on macroeconomic environmental developments, credit risk measures and management, interest rate analysis and market integration

Financial Risk Measurement and Management is an area of endeavor that has had its profile raised every time a significant monetary loss occurs as a result of the utilization (or abuse) of derivative instruments. However, the subject has transcended being only a subject of topical interest. An understanding of Financial Risk Measurement and Management has become essential to survival in all business activity. Financial Risk relates to the volatility of unexpected outcome or movements in financial variables. Financial risk variables arise generically in the form of interest rate risk, foreign exchange risk, equity risk and commodity risk. This volume provides empirical or theoretical insight on those risk variables. The goal of "Financial Risk and Financial Risk Management" is to provide both laymen and professionals with current analysis, theoretical risk measurement models and empirical findings that will extend their understanding of the financial risk environment. This volume contains findings of many leading academic, professional and regulatory figures in the Financial Risk Arena. The Financial Risk coverage in the volume is eclectic and not encyclopedic. It is impossible to be all-inclusive in one volume and as such the editors included what they felt were an excellent array of current research efforts pertinent to Financial Risk.