Consumer Movements, Consumer Policies, and Firms' Policies for Consumer Satisfaction in Japan

일본의 소비자운동, 소비자정책, 소비자지향적 경영에 관한 소고

This study reviewed both consumer movement and consumer policy of government in Japan. Their evolution since the Second World War will be reviewed and compared multiple periods, after the Second World war till the late 1960s, the period of the 1970s, the period after 1980s. In addition, firms' consumer satisfaction policies were briefly reviewed in order to fully understand consumer protection activities in japan. This study found four major characteristics of consumer protection activities led by both voluntary consumer organizations and government. First, consumer protection policy of government in Japan after the late 1960s was more active than that of consumer movement by consumer organizations. Second, major concerns for consumer protection were variant over time. The major goal in the first stage of period(during the 1960s) was to protect consumer safety from defective and dangerous goods and services, whereas the goal after the late 1970s was extended to cover various areas concerning the quality of life. Those areas refer to the quality of services, the way of sales and marketing, pollution of environment, and the quality of consuming life. Third, this study found that computer networks, aiming at collecting and analyzing the very useful to improve the consuming life of Japanese by providing sufficient consumer information to encourge rational choices of consumers. Forth, a close cooperation between the central and local administrations was crucial for the successful outcome In Japan This paper gives us useful guideline regarding how to improve consumer movement and govemments' policies for protecting consumer in Korea. In addition, other lessons on successful consumer satisfaction policies of Japanese firms may enable Korean firms to shape effective consumer policies of enhancing their competitiveness.