This paper empirically analyzes the gender wage gap in Japan using a new data set KHPS2004 which contains a wealth of information on the work history of individuals. KHPS2004 enables us to estimate wage functions without overstating individual's human capital accumulation by work experience...

This paper tests whether wages in Japan’s labor market are determined by current or past labor market conditions. The empirical results are consistent with a model suggesting that labor market mobility may be limited and costly in Japan for men.