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Did Japanese consumers become more prudent during 1998-1999? Evidence from household-level data

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  • Masahiro Hori
  • Satoshi Shimizutani

Abstract

This paper explores empirically whether Japanese consumers became more prudent in the second half of the 1990s, a decade in which Japan registered historically low economic growth. Employing the methodology developed by Dynan (1993), this study uses micro-level data from the Family Savings Survey and the Family Income and Expenditure Survey to estimate the coefficient of prudence for Japanese households in the second half of the 1990s. The estimates reveal that the coefficient of prudence is positive and statistically significant in the 1998-1999 period. The obtained value for the coefficient of prudence is four, which is much higher than that estimated for US households (not significantly different from zero) or UK households (around 2). The estimated coefficient for young households is higher still, which is consistent with simulation studies conducted by Gourinchas & Parker (2002) showing that precaution is the most important saving motive for younger households.

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  • Masahiro Hori & Satoshi Shimizutani, 2006. "Did Japanese consumers become more prudent during 1998-1999? Evidence from household-level data," International Economic Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(2), pages 197-209.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:intecj:v:20:y:2006:i:2:p:197-209
    DOI: 10.1080/10168730600699523
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    Cited by:

    1. Yasuyuki Sawada & Kazumitsu Nawata & Masako Ii & Mark J. Lee, 2011. "Did the Financial Crisis in Japan Affect Household Welfare Seriously?," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 43, pages 297-324, March.
    2. Shiba Suzuki, 2009. "Risks after disasters: a note on the effects of precautionary saving on equity premiums," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 29(1), pages 328-337.
    3. Miyazaki, Tomomi, 2010. "The effects of fiscal policy in the 1990s in Japan: A VAR analysis with event studies," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 22(2), pages 80-87, March.
    4. Yasuyuki Sawada & Kazumitsu Nawata & Masako Ii & Jeong-Joon Lee, 2007. "Did the Credit Crunch in Japan Affect Household Welfare? An Augmented Euler Equation Approach Using Type 5 Tobit Model," CIRJE F-Series CIRJE-F-498, CIRJE, Faculty of Economics, University of Tokyo.
    5. Bessho, Shun-ichiro & Tobita, Eiko, 2008. "Unemployment risk and buffer-stock saving: An empirical investigation in Japan," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 20(3), pages 303-325, August.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Precautionary saving; coefficient of prudence; Euler equation; household data;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis

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