IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/hit/hituec/665.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

The Role of Structural Transformation in Regional Convergence in Japan: 1874-2008

Author

Listed:
  • Fukao, Kyoji
  • Paul, Saumik

Abstract

Extending the literature on productivity convergence to a multi-sector growth framework, we show that σ-convergence in regional productivity growth can be decomposed into σ-convergence in sectoral productivity growth and σ - convergence in structural transformation-led productivity growth. Empirical support is provided using novel historical datasets at the Japanese prefecture level from 1874 to 2008. In pre-war Japan (1874–1940), regional convergence was primarily driven by productivity growth in the secondary sector. The rapid productivity convergence within the secondary and tertiary sectors relative to that in the primary sector between 1890 and 1940 provided an important base for the large convergence effects of structural transformation in the post-war years through a larger sectoral productivity gap in the lagging regions compared to the leading regions. However, the pace of regional convergence gradually slowed down and since the early 1970s the σ -convergence of structural transformation has been offset by the σ-divergence of within-sector productivity growth and vice versa, thwarting the pace of convergence in aggregate productivity.

Suggested Citation

  • Fukao, Kyoji & Paul, Saumik, 2017. "The Role of Structural Transformation in Regional Convergence in Japan: 1874-2008," Discussion Paper Series 665, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    • Handle: RePEc:hit:hituec:665
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://hermes-ir.lib.hit-u.ac.jp/hermes/ir/re/28797/DP665.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Berthold Herrendorf & Christopher Herrington & Ákos Valentinyi, 2015. "Sectoral Technology and Structural Transformation," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 7(4), pages 104-133, October.
    2. Stephen P. Jenkins & Philippe Van Kerm, 2006. "Trends in income inequality, pro-poor income growth, and income mobility," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 58(3), pages 531-548, July.
    3. Margarida Duarte & Diego Restuccia, 2010. "The Role of the Structural Transformation in Aggregate Productivity," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 125(1), pages 129-173.
    4. McMillan, Margaret & Rodrik, Dani & Verduzco-Gallo, Íñigo, 2014. "Globalization, Structural Change, and Productivity Growth, with an Update on Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 11-32.
    5. Bernard, Andrew B & Jones, Charles I, 1996. "Productivity across Industries and Countries: Time Series Theory and Evidence," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 78(1), pages 135-146, February.
    6. Trevor Tombe & Xiaodong Zhu, 2019. "Trade, Migration, and Productivity: A Quantitative Analysis of China," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 109(5), pages 1843-1872, May.
    7. Dekle, Robert & Vandenbroucke, Guillaume, 2012. "A quantitative analysis of China's structural transformation," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 119-135.
    8. Serguey Braguinsky & Atsushi Ohyama & Tetsuji Okazaki & Chad Syverson, 2015. "Acquisitions, Productivity, and Profitability: Evidence from the Japanese Cotton Spinning Industry," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 105(7), pages 2086-2119, July.
    9. Leanne Roncolato & David Kucera, 2014. "Structural drivers of productivity and employment growth: a decomposition analysis for 81 countries," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 38(2), pages 399-424.
    10. Gaaitzen de Vries & Marcel Timmer & Klaas de Vries, 2015. "Structural Transformation in Africa: Static Gains, Dynamic Losses," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(6), pages 674-688, June.
    11. Hatase, Mariko, 2002. "Devaluation and Exports in Interwar Japan: The Effects of Sharp Depreciation of the Yen in the Early 1930s," Monetary and Economic Studies, Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies, Bank of Japan, vol. 20(3), pages 143-180, October.
    12. Verma, Rubina, 2012. "Can total factor productivity explain value added growth in services?," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(1), pages 163-177.
    13. Osamu Saito & Masanori Takashima, 2016. "Estimating the shares of secondary- and tertiary-sector outputs in the age of early modern growth: the case of Japan, 1600–18741," European Review of Economic History, European Historical Economics Society, vol. 20(3), pages 368-386.
    14. Murat Ungor, 2017. "Productivity Growth and Labor Reallocation: Latin America versus East Asia," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 24, pages 25-42, March.
    15. Settsu, Tokihiko & Bassino, Jean-Pascal & Fukao, Kyoji, 2016. "Revisiting Economic Growth in Meiji Japan: Industrial Structure, Labour Productivityand Regional Inequality," Economic Review, Hitotsubashi University, vol. 67(3), pages 193-214, July.
    16. Friedman, Milton, 1992. "Do Old Fallacies Ever Die?," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 30(4), pages 2129-2132, December.
    17. Kakamu, Kazuhiko & Fukushige, Mototsugu, 2005. "Divergence or convergence?: Income inequality between cities, towns and villages in Japan," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 17(4), pages 407-416, December.
    18. Fumio Hayashi & Edward C. Prescott, 2008. "The Depressing Effect of Agricultural Institutions on the Prewar Japanese Economy," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 116(4), pages 573-632, August.
    19. Marcel P. Timmer & Gaaitzen J. de Vries, 2009. "Structural change and growth accelerations in Asia and Latin America: a new sectoral data set," Cliometrica, Journal of Historical Economics and Econometric History, Association Française de Cliométrie (AFC), vol. 3(2), pages 165-190, June.
    20. Cha, Myung Soo, 2003. "Did Takahashi Korekiyo Rescue Japan from the Great Depression?," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 63(1), pages 127-144, March.
    21. Kim, Sukkoo, 1998. "Economic Integration and Convergence: U.S. Regions, 1840–1987," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 58(3), pages 659-683, September.
    22. Herrendorf, Berthold & Rogerson, Richard & Valentinyi, Ákos, 2014. "Growth and Structural Transformation," Handbook of Economic Growth, in: Philippe Aghion & Steven Durlauf (ed.), Handbook of Economic Growth, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 6, pages 855-941, Elsevier.
    23. Donald R. Davis & David E. Weinstein, 2002. "Bones, Bombs, and Break Points: The Geography of Economic Activity," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 92(5), pages 1269-1289, December.
    24. Higashikata, Takayuki, 2013. "Factor decomposition of income inequality change : Japan's regional income disparity from 1955 to 1998," IDE Discussion Papers 400, Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization(JETRO).
    25. Bernard, Andrew B & Jones, Charles I, 1996. "Productivity and Convergence across U.S. States and Industries," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 113-135.
    26. Donal O'Neill & Philippe Van Kerm, 2008. "An Integrated Framework For Analysing Income Convergence," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 76(1), pages 1-20, January.
    27. Fujita, Masahisa & Tabuchi, Takatoshi, 1997. "Regional growth in postwar Japan," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(6), pages 643-670, November.
    28. Stephen P. Jenkins & Philippe Van Kerm, 2009. "Decomposition of inequality change into pro-poor growth and mobility components: -dsginideco-," United Kingdom Stata Users' Group Meetings 2009 11, Stata Users Group.
    29. Mitsuhiko Kataoka & Takahiro Akita, 2003. "Regional Income Inequality in the Post-War Japan," ERSA conference papers ersa03p480, European Regional Science Association.
    30. F. A. Lutz, 1961. "The Theory of Capital," International Economic Association Series, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-1-349-08452-4 edited by D. C. Hague, December.
    31. Shlomo Yitzhaki, 2003. "Gini’s Mean difference: a superior measure of variability for non-normal distributions," Metron - International Journal of Statistics, Dipartimento di Statistica, Probabilità e Statistiche Applicate - University of Rome, vol. 0(2), pages 285-316.
    32. Syrquin, Moshe, 1988. "Patterns of structural change," Handbook of Development Economics, in: Hollis Chenery & T.N. Srinivasan (ed.), Handbook of Development Economics, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 7, pages 203-273, Elsevier.
    33. Foster-McGregor, Neil & Verspagen, Bart, 2016. "The Role of Structural Transformation in the Potential of Asian Economic Growth," ADB Economics Working Paper Series 479, Asian Development Bank.
    34. Bernard, Andrew B & Jones, Charles I, 1996. "Comparing Apples to Oranges: Productivity Convergence and Measurement across Industries and Countries," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 86(5), pages 1216-1238, December.
    35. Hollis Chenery† & T.N. Srinivasan (ed.), 1988. "Handbook of Development Economics," Handbook of Development Economics, Elsevier, edition 1, volume 1, number 1.
    36. repec:dgr:rugggd:gd-136 is not listed on IDEAS
    37. Nicholas Kaldor, 1961. "Capital Accumulation and Economic Growth," International Economic Association Series, in: D. C. Hague (ed.), The Theory of Capital, chapter 0, pages 177-222, Palgrave Macmillan.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Fukao, Kyoji & Paul, Saumik, 2019. "Baumol versus Engel: Accounting for 100 years (1885-1985) of Structural Transformation in Japan," IZA Discussion Papers 12727, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. Fukao, Kyoji & Paul, Saumik, 2019. "Baumol versus Engel: Accounting for 100 years (1885-1985) of Structural Transformation in Japan," Discussion Paper Series 694, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    3. Fukao, Kyoji & 深尾, 京司 & Paul, Saumik, 2019. "Baumol versus Engel: Accounting for 100 years (1885‒1985) of Structural Transformation in Japan," SSPJ Discussion Paper Series DP19-003, Service Sector Productivity in Japan: Determinants and Policies, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Fukao, Kyoji & Paul, Saumik, 2017. "The Role of Structural Transformation in Regional Convergence in Japan: 1874-2008," Discussion Paper Series 665, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    2. Fukao, Kyoji & Paul, Saumik, 2018. "A Framework to Study the Role of Structural Transformation in Productivity Growth and Regional Convergence," ADBI Working Papers 833, Asian Development Bank Institute.
    3. Paul, Saumik & Fukao, Kyoji, 2017. "The Role of Structural Transformation in Regional Productivity Growth and Convergence in Japan: 1874 - 2008," CEI Working Paper Series 2016-12, Center for Economic Institutions, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    4. Herrendorf, Berthold & Rogerson, Richard & Valentinyi, Ákos, 2014. "Growth and Structural Transformation," Handbook of Economic Growth, in: Philippe Aghion & Steven Durlauf (ed.), Handbook of Economic Growth, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 6, pages 855-941, Elsevier.
    5. Murat Ungor, 2017. "Productivity Growth and Labor Reallocation: Latin America versus East Asia," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 24, pages 25-42, March.
    6. Cai, Wenbiao, 2015. "Structural change accounting with labor market distortions," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 54-64.
    7. Murat Üngör, 2009. "De-industrialization of the Riches and the Rise of China," DEGIT Conference Papers c014_040, DEGIT, Dynamics, Economic Growth, and International Trade.
    8. Abhijit Sen Gupta & Vishal More & Kanupriya Gupta, 2018. "Why Generating Productive Jobs is Essential for Reducing Poverty in India: Evidence from Indian Regions," The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Springer;The Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE), vol. 61(4), pages 563-587, December.
    9. Afolabi Tunde Ahmed & Tsimisaraka Raymondo Sandra Marcelline & Sabi Couscous Mouhamadou Nazirou, 2021. "Empirical Study of the Impact of Governance on Economic Structural Change: Evidence from Sub-Saharan African Countries," International Journal of Science and Business, IJSAB International, vol. 5(8), pages 260-277.
    10. Emran, M. Shahe & Shilpi, Forhad, 2015. "Do Land Market Restrictions Hinder Structural Change in a Rural Economy? Evidence from Sri Lanka," MPRA Paper 66017, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Henning Mühlen & Octavio Escobar, 2020. "The role of FDI in structural change: Evidence from Mexico," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(3), pages 557-585, March.
    12. Gangopadhyay, Kausik & Mondal, Debasis, 2021. "Productivity, relative sectoral prices, and total factor productivity: Theory and evidence," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    13. Valeriy V. Mironov & Liudmila D. Konovalova, 2019. "Structural changes and economic growth in the world economy and Russia," Russian Journal of Economics, ARPHA Platform, vol. 5(1), pages 1-26, April.
    14. Ye, Longfeng & Robertson, Peter E., 2019. "Hitting the Great Wall: Structural change and China's growth slowdown," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 1-1.
    15. Yongheng Deng & Jing Wu & Yang Tang & ping wang, 2019. "Spatial Misallocation in Chinese Housing and Land Markets," 2019 Meeting Papers 1351, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    16. Duernecker, Georg & Herrendorf, Berthold & Valentinyi, Ákos, 2021. "The productivity growth slowdown and Kaldor’s growth facts," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    17. Carree, M. A. & Klomp, L. & Thurik, A. R., 2000. "Productivity convergence in OECD manufacturing industries," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 66(3), pages 337-345, March.
    18. Murat Üngör, 2016. "Did the rising importance of services decelerate overall productivity improvement of Turkey during 2002–2007?," Journal of Economic Policy Reform, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(3), pages 238-261, July.
    19. Di Meglio, Gisela & Gallego, Jorge, 2022. "Disentangling services in developing regions: A test of Kaldor's first and second laws," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 221-229.
    20. Antonelli, Cristiano & Feder, Christophe, 2020. "The new direction of technological change in the global economy," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 1-12.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Structural transformation; Labor productivity; Regional convergence; Japan;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O40 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General
    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:hit:hituec:665. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Hiromichi Miyake (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/iehitjp.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.