Cycle In Japan Research Articles

Substance Flow Analysis of Zinc Associated with Iron and Steel Cycle in Japan, and Environmental Assessment of EAF Dust Recycling Process

Japanese zinc production in 2005 was 6.75×105 t, and domestic demand of zinc was 4.82×105 t. The main use of metallic zinc is in the surface coating of steel and the metal accounts for 62.8% of the domestic demand. The purposes of this study are as follows: (1) to identify the material flow of zinc associated with steel production, and (2) to estimate the environmental effects (energy consumption and CO2 emission reduction) of some intermediate dust treatment processes.The major conclusions are (a) in Japan, 6.16×106 t of blast furnace/converter dust was generated in 2000, and this product contained 2.20×104 t-Zn. 0.433×106 t of EAF dust was generated and this dust contained 8.86×104 t-Zn, and (b) 9.57 MJ of energy is required for producing 1 kg of zinc oxide by the Waelz process using EAF dust, and the estimated amount of CO2 emission in this process is 1.49 kg-CO2. On the other hand, if the LAMS process proposed by the authors is employed, it is estimated that there will be a reduction of 1.70 MJ in energy consumption and a reduction of 0.14 kg-CO2 in CO2 emissions.

Regional Business Cycle Phases in Japan

This paper uses a Markov-switching model with structural breaks to characterize and compare regional business cycles in Japan for 1976-2005. An early 1990s structural break meant a reduction in national and regional growth rates in expansion and recession, usually resulting in an increase in the spread between the two phases. Although recessions tended to be experienced across a majority of regions throughout the sample period, the occurrence and lengths of recessions at the regional level have increased over time.

Regional Business Cycle Phases in Japan

This paper uses a Markov-switching model with structural breaks to characterize and compare regional business cycles in Japan for 1976-2005. An early 1990s structural break meant a reduction in national and regional growth rates in expansion and recession, usually resulting in an increase in the spread between the two phases. Although recessions tended to be experienced across a majority of regions throughout the sample period, the occurrence and lengths of recessions at the regional level have increased over time.

Long-Term Changes in the Diurnal Precipitation Cycles in Japan for 106 Years (1898-2003)

Changes in the diurnal variation patterns of precipitation were analyzed using four-hourly data for 106 years (1898-2003) at 46 stations in Japan. On the annual and areal average, precipitation amount has a relative increasing trend in the early morning (02-06 JST) and a decreasing trend in the afternoon (14-18 JST), each with a rate of about 5% per century. These changes reflect those of intense precipitation (≥ 10 mm/4h) in spring and summer, while precipitation amount in autumn and winter shows different changes of diurnal variation patterns. Changes of diurnal cycles of weak precipitation (<3 mm/4h) are generally small, with a slight relative increase in 06-14 JST, and a decrease in 14-18 JST.

Duration dependence of the business cycle in Japan: A Bayesian analysis of extended Markov switching model

For the purpose of analyzing cyclical stochastic processes in business cycles, we propose a regime-switching model with duration dependence that makes use of the Weibull model. The advantage of this model is that it relaxes a constraint of the Markov-switching model in favor of time-varying transition probabilities, and investigates the property of duration dependence in business states. We employ Bayesian inference via MCMC to overcome the drawbacks of maximum likelihood estimation. Estimation using the composite index of coincident indicator shows that both the contractions and the expansions of the Japanese business cycle exhibited positive duration dependence during the last two decades.

Mitochondrial DNA analysis of the introduced fall webworm, showing its shift in life cycle in Japan

AbstractThe fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea (Drury) (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae), was introduced from North America into Japan in 1945. For the first three decades after its introduction, its life cycle was bivoltine. Thereafter, its life cycle shifted to trivoltine in south‐western areas of Japan. Two hypotheses have been proposed for the process that led to the shift in voltinism: one based on a single and the other on multiple independent colonizations. To test these hypotheses, mitochondrial (mt)DNA sequences were analyzed in the black‐headed type of 14 Japanese, one Korean and two North American populations of H. cunea. In addition, the same regions of mtDNA were compared with the red‐headed type of two North American populations. In the black‐headed type, mtDNA sequences were the same in all Japanese populations and in the Korean population, but sequences of the North American populations differed from each other and from those of the other populations. These results suggest that the process of the shift in voltinism occurred originally in Japan, and that the Japanese and the Korean population of H. cunea originated from a relatively small area in North America.

Sunspot Fluctuations in Asset Prices and Business Cycles in Japan Over 1986-1999

If individuals receive utility directly from the value of their wealth, equilibrium may be indeterminate so that sunspot equilibria may exist. In such an equilibrium, the price of an asset may fluctuate stochastically, as a result of spontaneous revisions of agents’ expectations. A neoclassical growth model with such a utility function is used to show that those fluctuations in asset prices can generate co-movement among output, consumption and investment, even without assuming non-convex technology. In particular, numerical results show that the model can replicate well the business cycles in Japan over the period 1986 ‐1999. JEL Classification Numbers: E21; E32; G12; O53.

Economic development and the 1989–95 Property Cycle in Japan: International and National Explanations and Interpretations

Economic development and the 1989–95 Property Cycle in Japan: International and National Explanations and Interpretations

Correspondence analysis of paper recycling society: consumers and paper makers in Japan

Paper passes through many hands. In the present paper, key parts of this cycle in Japan were examined, using questionnaire surveys of households and paper makers. The study aimed to examine the paper makers' strategy for paper production and their attitude to recycling, in comparison with those of the consumers. The study especially focused on toilet paper because consumers have a lot of freedom in purchasing toilet paper. A total of 1242 consumers and 60 paper makers responded. The major findings were as follows. First, we compared the criteria of consumers for purchasing toilet paper with the conjectures of paper makers. Brand, advertisements and the appearance of shopping displays received 60% support from paper makers, but less than 12% of consumers selected these criteria even if we exclude those who do not buy toilet paper or do not have any particular criteria. On the other hand, multiple plies and benefit to the earth were selected by moderate numbers (between 20 and 25%) of consumers, while only 16.77 and 5.69%, respectively of paper makers marked these criteria. Paper makers strongly believe that many retailers sell toilet paper as a loss-leader. By comparing those matters considered important for recycling by consumers with those considered important by makers, it was shown that many makers have a clear awareness of the particular problem, the lack of used paper consumption, in the current paper recycling situation in Japan.

Political Business Cycles and Endogenous Elections

Empirical research of political business cycles (PBCs) may suffer from endogeneity bias when incumbent governments have discretion to call for an early election. Using an instrumental variable (IV) routine on data from Japan and the U.K., we find strong evidence to support the notion that election timing is a function of the economy rather than the macroeconomy being driven by elections as assumed in PBC. In single‐equation regressions, no evidence of political cycles are found, but Hausman tests suggest elections are endogenous in our regressions. A monetary cycle in Japan and an inflation cycle in the U.K. are uncovered through IV estimation.

Political Business Cycles and Endogenous Elections

Empirical research of political business cycles (PBCs) may suffer from endogeneity bias when incumbent governments have discretion to call for an early election. Using an instrumental variable (IV) routine on data from Japan and the U.K., we find strong evidence to support the notion that election timing is a function of the economy rather than the macroeconomy being driven by elections as assumed in PBC. In single‐equation regressions, no evidence of political cycles are found, but Hausman tests suggest elections are endogenous in our regressions. A monetary cycle in Japan and an inflation cycle in the U.K. are uncovered through IV estimation.

The characteristics of the business cycle in Japan

The present study examines the characteristics of the business cycle in the Japanese economy by using the Hodrick–Prescot filter, concluding that a change in consumption is relatively large and that labour input is ficed in Japan. Fluctuating consumption supports a permanent income hypothesis in Japan. The fixed labour input is thought to reflect the characteritics of the Japanese economy, such as a fixed employment custom like the ‘lifetime employment system’. This paper presents a simple-stuctured model of the real business cycle(RBC) and examines its validity by simulation. It may be concluded that even a simple model with a time-separable utitlity function and a fixed capital–labour ratio can reproduce the movement of the Japanese economy.

Real Exchange Rate Fluctuations and the Business Cycle: Evidence from Japan

This paper analyzes the relationship between the real exchange rate and the business cycle in Japan during the floating rate period. A structural vector autoregression is used to identify different types of macroeconomic shocks that determine fluctuations in aggregate output and the real exchange rate. Relative nominal and real demand shocks are found to be the main determinants of variation in real exchange rate changes, whereas relative output growth is driven primarily by supply shocks. Historical decompositions suggest that the sharp appreciations of the yen in 1993 and 1995 and its subsequent depreciation can be attributed primarily to relative nominal shocks.

Economic development and the 1985–95 Property Cycle in Japan: International and National Explanations and Interpretations

Economic development and the 1985–95 Property Cycle in Japan: International and National Explanations and Interpretations

Business Fixed Investment and the Recent Business Cycle in Japan]: Comment

Previous articleNext article Free[Business Fixed Investment and the Recent Business Cycle in Japan]: CommentDavid ScharfsteinDavid Scharfstein Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by NBER Macroeconomics Annual Volume 111996 Sponsored by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/654309 Views: 26Total views on this site Copyright 1996 The National Bureau of Economic Research and The Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyPDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

Business Fixed Investment and the Recent Business Cycle in Japan]: Discussion

Business Fixed Investment and the Recent Business Cycle in Japan]: Discussion

Business Fixed Investment and the Recent Business Cycle in Japan]: Discussion

Business Fixed Investment and the Recent Business Cycle in Japan]: Discussion

Real Exchange Rate Fluctuations and the Business Cycle: Evidence From Japan

This paper analyzes the relationship between the real exchange rate and the business cycle in Japan during the floating rate period. A structural vector autoregression is used to identify different types of macroeconomic shocks that determine fluctuations in aggregate output and the real exchange rate. Relative nominal and real demand shocks are found to be the main determinants of variation in real exchange rate changes, while relative output growth is driven primarily by supply shocks. Historical decompositions suggest that the sharp appreciations of the yen in 1993 and 1995 and its subsequent depreciation can be attributed primarily to relative nominal shocks.

Real Exchange Rate Fluctuations and the Business Cycle: Evidence from Japan

This paper analyzes the relationship between the real exchange rate and the business cycle in Japan during the floating rate period. A structural vector autoregression is used to identify different types of macroeconomic shocks that determine fluctuations in aggregate output and the real exchange rate. Relative nominal and real demand shocks are found to be the main determinants of variation in real exchange rate changes, while relative output growth is driven primarily by supply shocks. Historical decompositions suggest that the sharp appreciations of the yen in 1993 and 1995 and its subsequent depreciation can be attributed primarily to relative nominal shocks.

Business Fixed Investment and the Recent Business Cycle in Japan

To analyze business fixed investment in Japan, which has been unusually volatile in recent years, we develop and apply a loglinear flexible accelerator model. We find that movements in business fixed investment are consistent with movements in output and the tax- adjusted cost of capital, both on average during our entire 1961-94 sample and during the recent 1986-94 business cycle.