This paper uses cross-country data to examine the long-term effect of trade openness on the gender gaps in wages, education, political empowerment and health. Key findings are: trade openness since 1970 reduced the gender gaps in wages and educational attainment as of 2011 but did not influence...

This paper examines how gender equality influences difference in cognitive skills between genders. For closer examination of Guiso et al. (2008), restricting the sample to immigrant allows us to reduce the possibility of reverse causality. Key findings obtained through regression estimation are:...

Based on prefecture-level panel data from Japan for the period 2010 - 2014, this study investigates the influence of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident on the body mass index (BMI) and obesity rates of children and any changes over time. A differences-in-differences approach was used to show...

This study examined the extent to which education levels in the 19th century have shaped current norms, which influence individuals' present-day non-cognitive skills and perceptions of life. Cross-country, individual-level data were compared with each country's average years of schooling in...

Conflict can cause negative externalities to arise, and this can result in economic loss. Such externalities are also thought to influence individuals' perceptions about economic issues. Acemoglu and Robinson (2000) provide their hypothesis that the political elite extend the franchise to avoid...

A university long-distance relay road race, the Hakone Ekiden, is widely acknowledged as the most popular New Year's sporting event in Japan. The event is held immediately prior to the university application period in Japan. Using Japanese panel data for 2001-2014, this study examined how the...

An increasing number of works have addressed the socio-economic determinants of suicide. Social capital is a key factor in preventing suicide. However, little is known about the experience of suicide consideration using subjective values. From the viewpoint of suicide prevention, it is worth...

In Japan's hometown tax donation system, people can donate to municipalities where they are not resident and in return receive reciprocal gifts from the local governments of those municipalities. A large part of the donated amount can be deducted from their income and residence taxes. This study...

During the period of 2001-2006, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) adopted a market-oriented policy under the Koizumi cabinet. In 2006, following the formation of the first Abe cabinet, the LDP returned to a traditional redistributive policy. We assume that the supporters of the Koizumi cabinet...

This paper uses panel data from Japan to explore how the Great East Japan Earthquake influenced the intention to leave one's place of residence by comparing the same individuals' responses before and after the earthquake. Controlling for unobserved individual fixed effects and various individual...