Topics on Modern Japanese Economy
Faculty
ITO, Takatoshi
Credit / Semester / Schedule
2 Credits / Summer Semester / Tuesday Period: 3
Description
Objective: The objective of this course is to give students basic understanding of how the post-war Japanese economy, with emphasis on the experiences in the 1990s and 2000s, has worked based on economic theory and empirical evidence. The role of economic policies―monetary policy, fiscal policy, financial supervision and regulation, industrial policy―will be carefully examined.
The following topics of the Japanese economy will be covered. General introduction to the topic will be followed by economic models to understand the issues, empirical evidences in the literature, and policy choices.
Topics:
1. Economic Growth: Great Stagnation and Recovery
2. Deflation and Monetary Policy
3. Financial Supervision: Nonperforming loans problem and banking crisis
4. Fiscal Policy: Fiscal sustainability
5. Industrial and Competition Policy
6. Demography, Saving, and Social Security
7. International Finance: the role of the yen
Prerequisite: (Intermediate) Macroeconomics and Microeconomics
Readings will be assigned for each topic. Students are expected to read those readings prior to the lecture and participate in the class discussion.
Class materials and announcements will be posted at
http://www.e.u-tokyo.ac.jp/~tito/j_course.htm
Course materials
Manuscript of lecture notes will be provided to students
Grading
Class participation (25%) Midterm Exam (25%) and Final Exam (50%)