This paper estimates models for the retail price of gasoline in Tokyo and Osaka based on recent game theory emphasizing the importance of forward-looking behaviour by firms. Using monthly data for the 1990s, this paper presents evidence consistent with the theory that future changes in the...

The purpose of this paper is to explain variations in the divorce rates across prefectures in Japan over the 20-year period between 1982 and 2002. This paper examines the various factors which may affect divorce rates including: the effects of the generosity of social welfare; the income of...

This paper compares the asymptotic efficiency of a number of two step estimators developed for estimating a static linear regression model with serially correlated errors when some observations are missing. A Monte Carlo simulation is used to illustrate the results in small samples.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of reputation in the matching of lead underwriters and issuing firms in the straight corporate bond market in Japan. While the existing literature already investigates how the issuing firm chooses its lead underwriter at the time of issue, this...

The 1993 Japanese financial system reform allowed banks to enter the underwriting market for corporate bonds through bank-owned security subsidiaries. This paper examines empirically whether underwriting commissions and spreads for corporate bonds fell as a result of this bank entry. The...