Despite the indifference of their central governments, provincial and municipal authorities (i.e., local governments) in Japan, China, and Russia have been jointly promoting the idea of Japan Sea economic cooperation. This process has the potential to speed growth, promote market reform in Russia, China, and North Korea, and strengthen stability in Northeast Asia. This example of local initiative in international economic cooperation draws attention to a gap in our understanding of East Asian economic dynamism; adds a perspective to the debate between neoliberal and neorealist interpretations of the international system; and has implications for debates in comparative politics ranging from the role of the strong state in East Asian development to democratization in general, and demands for political reform in Japan in particular.