Implications of the minimum access rice import on supply and demand balance of rice in Japan

The recent development of rice policies in Japan are summarized. The impact of the minimum access (MA) import on the supply and demand balance of rice, and the rice diversion areas in the future is also predicted.     

Digital Security Tokens and Their Derivatives

Digital objects in network commerce cause new credit risks (e.g., by an unpredictable certificate revocation). Financial theories can be used to estimate these risks but theories firstly need models. This paper models the objects as security token (setok). Each setok has its price, values, timestamp, and contents. Not only the price but also the values can be uncertain and cause risks. In order to hedge such risks, an option written on the value is introduced and priced. The pricing can be used to estimate parameters which describe the uncertainty. Discussions include how systematic the revocation risk is.     

Dr. Martin Bronfenbrenner (1914-1997): Scholar, Critic, Cynic, and Comrade-in-Arms

ABSTRACT Professor Martin Bronfenbrenner's mark on the economics profession was significant and worth remembering. He touched the lives of many as a father, cousin, teacher, scholar, expert referee, colleague, and judge of important contemporary debates. Of special interest is his unique personality. He was a specialist in self-effacement, peppered with liberal shakes of cynicism and sarcasm. Despite all this, he managed to win the respect and hearts of individuals on several continents and across several generations. This essay brings a small but diverse part of the story together in one place.     

Evaluation of Asian Income Distribution and Poverty Ratios Using Worldwide Income Distribution

This paper aims to estimate worldwide income distribution for multiple years, and then to use this data in evaluating income distribution for particular countries or areas. Based on previous contributions to estimate the worldwide distribution for a particular year, worldwide income distribution was estimated by using per capita GDP, purchasing power parities of the International Comparison Programme, and income distribution data for various countries. Results for four years show that Gini coefficients exceeded 0.5 and were relatively stable from 1962 to 1985. Income distribution for the Asian area is compared to worldwide income distribution. A Relative Advance Index is proposed to measure the position of a country's particular income distribution in relation to worldwide income distribution. The Index shows that Asian income distribution has shifted toward higher income as compared to worldwide income. The paper also suggests that worldwide income distribution can be used to determine the poverty level cutoff point.     

Globalisation,multinationals and productivity in Japan’s lost decade

This paper studies the process of plant exit and productivity growth in Japan during the ‘lost decade’. A productivity decomposition shows the low rate of productivity growth at the aggregate level to be due to slow within plant productivity growth and a small contribution from the entry and exit components. We find the causes of plant exit to be similar to results in other country contexts except we find no effect from import competition. Our results suggest that the low productivity growth is attributable to high entry barriers and little to the shutting of productive plants by MNEs.     

Investment and cultural conflict: the Japanese in South Korea

After decades of heavy investment in South Korea, Japanese firms are now finding the country less than ideal for long-term investment due to numerous management conflicts. This study found that many Japanese firms would not initiate new direct investment projects or expand their operations under the existing conditions.     

How Does FDI Affect Productivity at Home?: Evidence from a Plant-Level Analysis

This study investigates the effect of foreign direct investments (FDI) on home productivity using plant-level data rather than firm-level data. Our results are consistent with the theoretical predictions. Horizontal FDI (HFDI) does not have a significantly positive effect on home productivity in plants that have the same activities abroad. In contrast, vertical FDI (VFDI) significantly enhances productivity in plants with an input–output relationship with activities relocated abroad. Furthermore, focusing on FDI in East Asia, the productivity improvements at home through VFDI are even greater, which might be caused by significant differences in factor prices between Japan and host countries.     

Wage determination and sex discrimination in Japan

In spite of a significant contribution by female workers to the post-war economic expansion of Japan, the average female wage remains no more than half the average male wage. In his study, Nanshi Matsuura found that workers' wages are mostly determined by non-job-performance-related factors, some of which are based on discriminatory social elements.