Regionalism is taking two forms. It is occurring firstly through free trade arrangements and secondly through monetary arrangements. In this paper, we highlight the issues related to the reversal of sequence between trade integration (free trade agreement) and monetary integration (a monetary...

This paper explains how real wages are procyclical for those who stay with the same employer. On the basis of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics data for the period of 1974-75 to 1990-91, we find that the substantial wage procyclicality among job stayers is mostly accounted for by great wage...

Classified broadly, two motives for intra-family transfers exist: altruism and selfishness. This paper examines two selfish hypotheses − the exchange motive (strategic bequest motive)and the demonstration effect − using a new Japanese micro data set. My analysis of the determinants of...

As trade integration deepens in East Asia, it is expected that there will be closer links in business cycles among East Asian countries. Theoretically, however, increased trade can lead business cycles across trading partners to shift in either direction: while inter-industry trade resulting in...

Traditionally, insurance risks are borne in reinsurance markets. In 1990s, however, after the sequence of huge natural disasters and huge insurance payments, the reinsurance markets reduced its capability to bear risks, especially those related to catastrophic natural disasters....

An attempt is made to estimate a state space model of investment and borrowing in a Bayesian framework and extract the unobservable agency cost of Japanese firms by firm size. Our estimates of the agency cost exhibited a declining trend in the late 80s and then switched to an increasing trend in...

It is a widely shared view in the population health field that the future of the analysis of population health lies in the assessment both of the length of life and health-adjusted quality of life, and the parallel examination of the average health and health distribution within a population....

This article examines the choice of health care in Japan by patients suffering from the common cold. Original data were obtained from a survey conducted by the authors. Empirical results show that the price elasticity of demand for medical services is between 0.23 and 0.36. This estimated price...

This paper studies collusion in repeated auctions when bidders communicate prior to each stage auction. The paper presents a folk theorem for independent and correlated private signals and general interdependent values. Specifically, it identifies conditions under which an equilibrium collusion...