Japan's natural gas industry is reliant on imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) that normally requires regasification prior to consumption. Unbundling of the industry has not been enforced and while some local distribution utilities purchase gas via pipelines that is regasified by the seller,...

This study aims to analyze the market structure of the coastal shipping industry in Japan. Based on 153 observations using balanced panel data for the period 2000–2016, we estimate the market-wide cost function and total factor productivity (TFP) growth rate, and then provide some policy...

This study examined the effect of airport operators’ passenger service facility charge (PSFC) on airport and airline firms’ revenues, using demand and airfare functions estimated from Japanese data. In particular, it explored the relationship between PSFC and elasticity of airline routes,...

This study aims to examine the impact of unbundling regulation (vertical separation) on incentives for pipeline investment. Recently, the Japanese government has decided to institute vertical separation of natural gas companies. Major existing natural gas companies, called incumbents, will be...