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Competition in Japan

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  • Michael E. Porter
  • Mariko Sakakibara

Abstract

This article examines competition in Japan and its link to postwar economic prosperity. While Japan's industrial structure and competition policy seem to indicate that competition in Japan has been less intense, the empirical evidence does not support this conclusion. The sectors in which competition was restricted prove to be those where Japan was not internationally successful. In the internationally successful sectors, internal competition in Japan was invariably fierce. While the level of competition in Japan is currently rising, economic recovery is still hindered by distortions in the competition in many industries.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael E. Porter & Mariko Sakakibara, 2004. "Competition in Japan," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 18(1), pages 27-50, Winter.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:jecper:v:18:y:2004:i:1:p:27-50
    Note: DOI: 10.1257/089533004773563421
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. W. Erwin Diewert & Takanobu Nakajima & Alice Nakamura & Emi Nakamura & Masao Nakamura, 2011. "Returns to scale: concept, estimation and analysis of Japan's turbulent 1964–88 economy," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 44(2), pages 451-485, May.
    2. Gervais, Martin & Livshits, Igor & Meh, Césaire, 2008. "Uncertainty and the specificity of human capital," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 143(1), pages 469-498, November.
    3. Mercedes Delgado & Christian Ketels & Michael E. Porter & Scott Stern, 2012. "The Determinants of National Competitiveness," NBER Working Papers 18249, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Ajit Singh & Ann Zammit, 2006. "Corporate Governance, Crony Capitalism and Economic Crises: should the US business model replace the Asian way of “doing business”?," Corporate Governance: An International Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 14(4), pages 220-233, July.
    5. Gorecki, Paul K., 2009. "The Recession, Budgets, Competition, and Regulation: Should the State Supply Bespoke Protection?," Papers BP2010/2, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    6. Takanori Tanaka, 2010. "Corporate financing and product market competition: evidence from firm-level data in Japan," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 30(2), pages 1373-1383.
    7. Gervais, Martin & Livshits, Igor & Meh, Cesaire, 2007. "Uncertainty and the specificity of human capital," Discussion Paper Series In Economics And Econometrics 0713, Economics Division, School of Social Sciences, University of Southampton.
    8. Gorecki, Paul K., 2012. "Competition Policy in Ireland: A Good Recession?," Papers WP427, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    9. Elisabetta Raguseo & Claudio Vitari & Federico Pigni, 2020. "Profiting from big data analytics: The moderating roles of industry concentration and firm size," Post-Print hal-03032504, HAL.
    10. Cordes, Alexander & Gehrke, Birgit & Römisch, Roman & Rammer, Christian & Schliessler, Paula & Wassmann, Pia, 2015. "Identifying revealed comparative advantages in an EU regional context," ZEW Expertises, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research, number 145962.
    11. Alexander Ebner, 2013. "Cluster policies and entrepreneurial states in East Asia," Chapters, in: Sören Eriksson (ed.), Clusters and Economic Growth in Asia, chapter 1, pages 1-20, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    12. Masahito Ambashi, 2017. "Competition Effects and Industrial Productivity: Lessons from Japanese Industry," Asian Economic Papers, MIT Press, vol. 16(3), pages 212-249, Fall.
    13. Ledenyov, Dimitri O. & Ledenyov, Viktor O., 2015. "Wave function method to forecast foreign currencies exchange rates at ultra high frequency electronic trading in foreign currencies exchange markets," MPRA Paper 67470, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. Alex Coad & Masatoshi Kato, 2021. "Growth paths and routes to exit: 'shadow of death' effects for new firms in Japan," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 57(3), pages 1145-1173, October.
    15. Sachverständigenrat zur Begutachtung der gesamtwirtschaftlichen Entwicklung (ed.), 2007. "Das Erreichte nicht verspielen. Jahresgutachten 2007/08 [The gains must not be squandered. Annual Report 2007/08]," Annual Economic Reports / Jahresgutachten, German Council of Economic Experts / Sachverständigenrat zur Begutachtung der gesamtwirtschaftlichen Entwicklung, volume 127, number 200708.
    16. repec:esr:chaptr:jacb200962 is not listed on IDEAS
    17. Gorecki, Paul, 2009. "A Code of Practice for Grocery Goods Undertakings and an Ombudsman: How to Do a Lot of Harm by Trying to Do a Little Good," The Economic and Social Review, Economic and Social Studies, vol. 40(4), pages 461-488.
    18. Michael Böheim, 2011. "Competition policy: ten lessons learnt from the financial crisis," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 38(3), pages 315-330, July.
    19. Don Jyh-Fu Jeng & Artur Pak, 2016. "The variable effects of dynamic capability by firm size: the interaction of innovation and marketing capabilities in competitive industries," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 115-130, March.
    20. Tinaikar, Surjit & Xu, Bo, 2023. "Does competition exacerbate investment inefficiencies? Evidence from Japanese firms," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 35-53.
    21. Fukui, Yoshitaka & Ushijima, Tatsuo, 2007. "Corporate diversification, performance, and restructuring in the largest Japanese manufacturers," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 21(3), pages 303-323, September.
    22. Raguseo, Elisabetta & Vitari, Claudio & Pigni, Federico, 2020. "Profiting from big data analytics: The moderating roles of industry concentration and firm size," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 229(C).
    23. Timothy Brennan, 2008. "Conspiracy in Industry or Conspiracy in Academe? A Review of Yoshiro Miwa and J. Mark Ramseyer, The Fable of the Keiretsu: Urban Legends of the Japanese Economy," International Journal of the Economics of Business, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(2), pages 265-279.
    24. Gervais, Martin & Livshits, Igor & Meh, Césaire, 2008. "Uncertainty and the specificity of human capital," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 143(1), pages 469-498, November.
    25. Elisabetta Raguseo & Claudio Vitari & Federico Pigni, 2020. "Profiting from big data analytics: The moderating roles of industry concentration and firm size," Grenoble Ecole de Management (Post-Print) hal-03032504, HAL.

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