Overview
This project evaluates industrial policies by MITI and METI quantitatively, integrating economic analysis and historical study. First, we examine the regional development policy in the 1960s. The Comprehensive National Development Plan (Zenkoku Sogo Kaihatsu Keikaku) in 1962 and the two laws based on it, namely, the NEW Industrial Cities Development Promotion Law (Shin Sangyo Toshi Kensetsu Sokushin Ho, 1962) and the Special Industrial Areas Development Promotion Law (Kogyo Seibi Tokubetsu Chiiki Seibi Sokushin Ho,1964), were a large-scale policy endeavor to change the spatial distribution of industries. As there were extensive inputs from local governments and politicians in policy making, this series of policies are interesting not only in the context of the industrial policy research but also in the context of spatial economics, economic history, and political economy. In this project, we evaluate them using the relevant statistical data and historical information. Second, we explore the implications of the series of regional economic policies from the 1970s, such as Industrial Relocation Promotion Law (Kogyo Saihaichi Sokushin Ho, 1972), Technopolis Law (1983), and Key Facilities Siting Law (Zuno Ricchi Ho, 1988). These policies would affect the micro aspects of the economy, namely, industrial organization and firm structure. We examine these long-term impacts using the micro data of the Manufacturing Census and other statistics.
July 5, 2016 - June 30, 2018
