Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Japan’s Economic Growth: Past and Present

  • Chapter
The Japanese Business and Economic System

Abstract

Since the burst of the economic bubble in 1990, Japanese economic growth has been minimal, with an average GDP growth rate of less than 1 per cent in the 1990s. Japan’s recent economic performance contrasts with that achieved in earlier years: in the 1960s the GDP growth rate was around 10 per cent, but it declined to 4 per cent in the 1970s and 1980s, and to 1 per cent in the 1990s. (Figure 2.1).

An earlier version of this chapter was prepared for the UBC Interdisciplinary Research Conference on Japanese Business and Economic System: History and Prospects for the 21st Century at the University of British Columbia, 12–13 February 1999. The Research was supported in part by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Abramovitz, M. (1986) ‘Catching up, forging ahead, and falling behind’, Journal of Economic History, vol. 46, no. 2, pp. 385–406.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baumol, W. J. (1986) ‘Productivity growth, convergence, and welfare: What the long-term data shows’, American Economic Review, vol. 76, no. 5, pp. 1072–85.

    Google Scholar 

  • Denison, E. F. and W. K. Chung (1976) ‘Economic Growth and the Source’, in H. Patrick and H. Rosovsky (ed), Asia’s New Giant (Washington, DC: The Brookings Institution).

    Google Scholar 

  • Economic Planning Agency (EPA) (1998) System of National Account (Tokyo: EPA).

    Google Scholar 

  • Ezaki, M. (1977) Models of the Japanese Economy: A System of National Accounts Approach (in Japanese), (Tokyo: Sobunsha).

    Google Scholar 

  • Japan Productivity Center (1994) A Survey of White-Collar Productivity (in Japanese) (Tokyo: Japan Productivity Centre).

    Google Scholar 

  • Japan Productivity Center (1995) Towards Enhancing White-Collar Productivity (in Japanese) (Tokyo: Japan Productivity Center).

    Google Scholar 

  • Jorgenson, D. W. and M. Kuroda (forthcoming) International Comparison of Economic Growth: the United States and Japan (Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Jorgenson, D. W. and M. Nishimizu (1978) ‘U.S. and Japanese Economic Growth, 1952–1974: An International Comparison’, Economic Journal, vol. 88, no. 352, pp. 707–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kanamori, H. (1972) ‘What Accounts for Japan’s High Rate of Growth?’, Review of Income and Wealth, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 155–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kosai, Y. and S. Toshida (1981) Economic Growth (in Japanese) (Tokyo: Nihon-Keizai-Shimbun).

    Google Scholar 

  • Komiya, R. (1988) Modern Japanese Economy (in Japanese) (Tokyo: University of Tokyo Press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuroda, M., K. Yoshioka and M. Shimizu (1987) ‘Inter-industry Effect of Productivity Growth’, in M. Kuroda, A. Horiuchi and K. Hamada (eds), Macroeconomic Analysis of the Japanese Economy (in Japanese) (Tokyo: Tokyo University Press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Maddison, A. (1987) ‘Growth and Slowdown in Advanced Capitalist Economies: Techniques of Quantitative Assessment’, Journal of Economic Literature, vol. 25, no. 2, pp. 649–698.

    Google Scholar 

  • Management and Coordination Agency of Japan (MCAJ) (1998a) Labor Force Survey (Tokyo: Statistics Bureau).

    Google Scholar 

  • Management and Coordination Agency of Japan (MCAJ) (1998b) Survey of Research and Development (Tokyo: Statistics Bureau).

    Google Scholar 

  • Nakajima, T. (1992) Growth Factors of the Japanese Economy (in Japanese), Ministry of International Trade and Industry Research Institute, Research Series no. 12 (Tokyo: MITI).

    Google Scholar 

  • Nakajima, T. and K. Hamada (1997) ‘Issues on Japan’s Intellectual Product’ Managerial and Decision Economics, vol. 18, pp. 141–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nakajima, T., Y. Maeda and K. Kiyota (1998) ‘Is White-collar Productivity Low in Japan? Evidence from the Electrical Machinery Industry’, Discussion Paper no. 98-DOF-30 (Research Institute of International Trade and Industry).

    Google Scholar 

  • Nakajima, T., M. Nakamura and K. Yoshioka (1998) ‘A Method for Estimating Scale Economies and Technical Progress: Sources of Total Factor Productivity for Japanese Manufacturing 1964–1988’, Japanese Economic Review, vol. 49, pp. 310–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ohkawa, K. (1974) Long-term Economic Statistics Estimation and Analysis (Tokyo: Toyo-Keizai-Shimposha).

    Google Scholar 

  • Ohkawa, K. and H. Rosovsky (1973) Japanese Economic Growth (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Romer, P. M. (1986) ‘Increasing Returns and Long-run Growth’, Journal of Political Economy, vol. 94, no. 5, pp. 1002–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Romer, P. M. (1990) ‘Endogenous Technological Change’, Journal of Political Economy, vol. 98, no. 5, part 2, pp. S71–102.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sato, K. (1971) ‘Growth and technical change in Japanese non-primary sectors: 1930–1967’, Economic Studies Quarterly, vol. 22, no. 1.

    Google Scholar 

  • Solow, R. M. (1957) ‘Technical Change and the Aggregate Production Function’, Review of Economics and Statistics, vol. 39, pp. 312–20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • US Bureau of Economic Analysis (UBEA) (1997) Survey of Current Business (Washington, D.C.: US Bureau of Economic Analysis).

    Google Scholar 

  • Watanabe, T. and N. Ekaizu (1965) ‘Labor Quality and Economic Growth’, Economic Studies Quarterly, vol. 19, no. 1.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williamson, J. G. (1991) ‘Productivity and American Leadership: A Review Article’, Journal of Economic Literature, vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 51–68.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yoshihara, K. and T. Ratcliffe (1972) ‘Productivity Change in the Japanese Economy: 1905–1965’, Economic Studies Quarterly, vol. 22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yoshioka, K., T. Nakajima and M. Nakamura (1994) Sources of Total Factor Productivity for Japanese Manufacturing Industries, 1964–1988: Issues in Scale Economies, Technical Progress, Industrial Policies and Measurement Methodologies, Keio Economic Observatory Research Monograph Series (Keio University Press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Edward E. Learner (1994) ‘Testing Trade Theory’, in: D. Greenaway and L. Winters (eds), Surveys in International Trade (Oxford: Blackwell).

    Google Scholar 

  • R. Nelson (1981) ‘Research on Productivity Growth and Differences’, Journal of Economic Literature, vol. XIX, pp. 1029–64.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. Takanobu Nakajima
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Masao Nakamura
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kanji Yoshioka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Werner Antweiler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration and Faculty of Applied Science, Konwakai, Japan

    Masao Nakamura (Professor, Research Chair and Director) (Professor, Research Chair and Director)

  2. Centre for Japanese Research, Institute of Asian Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

    Masao Nakamura (Professor, Research Chair and Director) (Professor, Research Chair and Director)

Copyright information

© 2001 Takanobu Nakajima, Masao Nakamura, Kanji Yoshioka and Werner Antweiler

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Nakajima, T., Nakamura, M., Yoshioka, K., Antweiler, W. (2001). Japan’s Economic Growth: Past and Present. In: Nakamura, M. (eds) The Japanese Business and Economic System. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230512283_2

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation