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Japan and the great divergence, 730–1874

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  • Bassino, Jean-Pascal
  • Broadberry, Stephen
  • Fukao, Kyoji
  • Gupta, Bishnupriya
  • Takashima, Masanori

Abstract

Despite being the first Asian economy to achieve modern economic growth, Japan has received relatively little attention in the Great Divergence debate. New estimates suggest that although the level of GDP per capita remained below the level of northwest Europe throughout the period 730–1874, Japan experienced positive trend growth before 1868, in contrast to the negative trend growth experienced in China and India, leading to a Little Divergence within Asia. However, growth in Japan remained slower than in northwest Europe so that Japan continued to fall behind until after the institutional reforms of the early Meiji period. The Great Divergence thus occurred as the most dynamic part of Asia fell behind the most dynamic part of Europe.

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  • Bassino, Jean-Pascal & Broadberry, Stephen & Fukao, Kyoji & Gupta, Bishnupriya & Takashima, Masanori, 2019. "Japan and the great divergence, 730–1874," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 1-22.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:exehis:v:72:y:2019:i:c:p:1-22
    DOI: 10.1016/j.eeh.2018.11.005
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    Cited by:

    1. Broadberry, Stephen & Custodis, Johann & Gupta, Bishnupriya, 2015. "India and the great divergence: An Anglo-Indian comparison of GDP per capita, 1600–1871," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 58-75.
    2. Baomin Dong & Jiong Gong & Kaixiang Peng & Zhongxiu Zhao, 2015. "Little Divergence: Evidence from Cotton Textiles in Japan and China 1868–1930," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 19(4), pages 776-796, November.
    3. Ekaterina Zhuravskaya & Sergei Guriev & Andrei Markevich, 2024. "New Russian Economic History," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 62(1), pages 47-114, March.
    4. Broadberry, Stephen, 2013. "Accounting for the great divergence," Economic History Working Papers 54573, London School of Economics and Political Science, Department of Economic History.
    5. Bassino, Jean-Pascal & van der Eng, Pierre, 2019. "Japan and the Asian Divergence: Market Integration, Climate Anomalies and Famines during the 18th and 19th Centuries," CEI Working Paper Series 2018-18, Center for Economic Institutions, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    6. Jutta Bolt & Jan Luiten Zanden, 2014. "The Maddison Project: collaborative research on historical national accounts," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 67(3), pages 627-651, August.
    7. Osamu Saito & Masanori Takashima, 2016. "Estimating the shares of secondary- and tertiary-sector outputs in the age of early modern growth: the case of Japan, 1600–18741," European Review of Economic History, European Historical Economics Society, vol. 20(3), pages 368-386.
    8. Broadberry, Stephen & Gardner, Leigh, 2022. "Economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1885–2008: Evidence from eight countries," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    9. Devansh Bajpai & Rishi Ranjan Singh, 2021. "Temporal Analysis of Worldwide War," Papers 2107.01098, arXiv.org.
    10. Yutaka Arimoto & Yoshihiro Sakane, 2021. "Agricultural development in industrialising Japan, 1880–1940," Australian Economic History Review, Economic History Society of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 61(3), pages 290-317, November.
    11. Yuzuru Kumon, 2020. "The Labor Intensive Path: Wages, Incomes and the Work Year in Japan, 1610-1932," CIRJE F-Series CIRJE-F-1154, CIRJE, Faculty of Economics, University of Tokyo.
    12. Jean-Pascal Bassino & Masanori Takashima, 2014. "Paying the price for spiritual enlightenment: tax pressure and living standards in Kofun and Asuka-Nara, Japan (c.300-794 AD)," Working Papers 14001, Economic History Society.
    13. Broadberry, Stephen & Guan, Hanhui & Li, David Daokui, 2018. "China, Europe, and the Great Divergence: A Study in Historical National Accounting, 980–1850," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 78(4), pages 955-1000, December.
    14. Panarat Anamwathana & Jessica Vechbanyongratana, 2021. "The economic history of Thailand: Old debates, recent advances, and future prospects," Australian Economic History Review, Economic History Society of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 61(3), pages 342-358, November.
    15. Sheilagh Ogilvie, 2022. "Economics and history: Analyzing serfdom," Oxford Economic and Social History Working Papers _200, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    16. Long,Cheryl Xiaoning & Xu,L. Colin & Yang,Jin, 2020. "Business Environment and Dual-Track Private Sector Development : China's Experience in Two Crucial Decades," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9161, The World Bank.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Japan; GDP per capita; Britain; Great Divergence;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • N10 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations - - - General, International, or Comparative
    • N30 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - General, International, or Comparative
    • N35 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - Asia including Middle East
    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General
    • O57 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Comparative Studies of Countries

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