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Explaining Japan's Saving Rate

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  • David W. Campbell

    (The Jerome Levy Economics Institute)

Abstract

This paper examines what I believe to be the significant developments in research over the past ten years on Japan's saving. It is a world that has been turned upside down during this period. I hope this paper helps clarify the extraordinary changes that have taken place. The paper is organized as follows. The next section motivates why Japan's saving is important. It is followed by a section which reviews the literature on the standardization of US-Japanese saving rates. Next comes my analysis of the Japan is special argument as applied to saving. After that I look at heterogeneity in saving, an idea which I suspect will dominate the research on Japan's saving for the next several years. Finally I end with a brief summary.

Suggested Citation

  • David W. Campbell, 1999. "Explaining Japan's Saving Rate," Macroeconomics 9902004, University Library of Munich, Germany.
  • Handle: RePEc:wpa:wuwpma:9902004
    Note: Type of Document - Acrobate PDF File; prepared on IBM PC; to print on PostScript; pages: 31; figures: included
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    File URL: https://econwpa.ub.uni-muenchen.de/econ-wp/mac/papers/9902/9902004.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hall, Robert E, 1978. "Stochastic Implications of the Life Cycle-Permanent Income Hypothesis: Theory and Evidence," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 86(6), pages 971-987, December.
    2. Charles Yuji Horioka, 1995. "Is Japan'S Household Saving Rate Really High?," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 41(4), pages 373-397, December.
    3. Horioka, Charles Yuji, 1990. "Why is Japan's household saving rate so high? A literature survey," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 4(1), pages 49-92, March.
    4. Altonji, Joseph G & Hayashi, Fumio & Kotlikoff, Laurence J, 1992. "Is the Extended Family Altruistically Linked? Direct Tests Using Micro Data," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 82(5), pages 1177-1198, December.
    5. Lawrence J. Christiano, 1989. "Understanding Japan's saving rate: the reconstruction hypothesis," Quarterly Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, vol. 13(Spr), pages 10-25.
    6. Feldstein, Martin & Horioka, Charles, 1980. "Domestic Saving and International Capital Flows," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 90(358), pages 314-329, June.
    7. Martin Feldstein & Philippe Bacchetta, 1991. "National Saving and International Investment," NBER Chapters, in: National Saving and Economic Performance, pages 201-226, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Fumio Hayashi, 1991. "Rejoinder to Dekle and Summers," Monetary and Economic Studies, Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies, Bank of Japan, vol. 9(2), pages 79-89, September.
    9. Iwamoto, Yasushi, 1996. "Japan's saving rate is indeed lower than Professor Hayashi revealed," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 8(1), pages 35-41, March.
    10. Fumio Hayashi, 1986. "Why Is Japan's Saving Rate So Apparently High?," NBER Chapters, in: NBER Macroeconomics Annual 1986, Volume 1, pages 147-234, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Deaton, A., 1989. "Saving in Developing Contries: Theory and Review," Papers 144, Princeton, Woodrow Wilson School - Development Studies.
    12. Kotlikoff, Laurence J & Summers, Lawrence H, 1981. "The Role of Intergenerational Transfers in Aggregate Capital Accumulation," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 89(4), pages 706-732, August.
    13. Horioka, C.Y., 1989. "Saving, Is Balances, And U.S.-Japan Trade And Investment Friction," ISER Discussion Paper 0208, Institute of Social and Economic Research, Osaka University.
    14. Fumio Hayashi, 1989. "Is Japan's saving rate high?," Quarterly Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, vol. 13(Spr), pages 3-9.
    15. Laitner, John, 1992. "Random earnings differences, lifetime liquidity constraints, and altruistic intergenerational transfers," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 58(2), pages 135-170, December.
    16. Horioka, Charles Yuji, 1988. "Saving for housing purchase in Japan," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 2(3), pages 351-384, September.
    17. Christopher D. Carroll & Lawrence H. Summers, 1991. "Consumption Growth Parallels Income Growth: Some New Evidence," NBER Chapters, in: National Saving and Economic Performance, pages 305-348, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    18. Robert Dekle & Lawrence Summers, 1991. "Japan's High Saving Rate Reaffirmed," Monetary and Economic Studies, Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies, Bank of Japan, vol. 9(2), pages 63-78, September.
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