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The sovereign debt crisis: why Greece, but not Japan?

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  • Naoyuki Yoshino
  • Uwe Vollmer

Abstract

This paper asks why Japan has not yet suffered from a sovereign debt crisis, although its gross public debt as a percentage of GDP is much higher than in Greece. We use a simple stylized model to explain the occurrence of both a fundamental and a speculative debt crisis. We apply this model to both countries and derive some hypotheses about why investors are still ready to hold Japanese Government Bonds. In particular, we point to the significance of domestic debt holdings, to the central bank’s government debt purchases, to investors’ access to “safe havens,” and to the role of an autonomous monetary policy. We also analyze potential challenges to Japan’s long-term fiscal situation, resulting from its aging population. Copyright Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014

Suggested Citation

  • Naoyuki Yoshino & Uwe Vollmer, 2014. "The sovereign debt crisis: why Greece, but not Japan?," Asia Europe Journal, Springer, vol. 12(3), pages 325-344, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:asiaeu:v:12:y:2014:i:3:p:325-344
    DOI: 10.1007/s10308-014-0387-5
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    2. Edda Claus & Iris Claus & Leo Krippner, 2016. "Monetary Policy Spillovers across the Pacific when Interest Rates Are at the Zero Lower Bound," Asian Economic Papers, MIT Press, vol. 15(3), pages 1-27, Fall.
    3. Yoshino, Naoyuki & Taghizadeh-Hesary, Farhad & Mizoguchi, Tetsuro, 2018. "Fiscal Policy Conditions for Government Budget Stability and Economic Recovery: Comparative Analysis of Japan and Greece," ADBI Working Papers 851, Asian Development Bank Institute.
    4. Naoyuki Yoshino & Tetsuro Mizoguchi & Farhad Taghizadeh-Hesary, 2017. "Optimal Fiscal Policy Rule for Achieving Fiscal Sustainability: A Japanese Case Study," ADB Institute Series on Development Economics, in: Naoyuki Yoshino & Farhad Taghizadeh-Hesary (ed.), Japan’s Lost Decade, chapter 0, pages 59-75, Springer.

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