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Railroads and technology adoption in Meiji Japan

Author

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  • Yamasaki, Junichi

Abstract

Railroad access may accelerate technological progress in the industrial sector through various theoretical channels. By digitizing novel datasets of factories and railroad networks in late 19th- and early 20th-century Japan and using the least-cost path between prioritized destinations as an instrument, I find that the distance from railroads in 1892 accounts for 34 percent of the growth in steam power adopted by factories from 1888 to 1902. I also find evidence supporting several mechanisms behind the reduced-form effect, such as the trade channel. The results suggest that railroad construction played a significant role in the rapid technological catch-up of Meiji Japan.

Suggested Citation

  • Yamasaki, Junichi, 2025. "Railroads and technology adoption in Meiji Japan," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:exehis:v:97:y:2025:i:c:s0014498325000300
    DOI: 10.1016/j.eeh.2025.101683
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    Keywords

    Railroads; Technology adoption; Meiji Japan;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • N65 - Economic History - - Manufacturing and Construction - - - Asia including Middle East
    • N75 - Economic History - - Economic History: Transport, International and Domestic Trade, Energy, and Other Services - - - Asia including Middle East
    • O14 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Industrialization; Manufacturing and Service Industries; Choice of Technology
    • O18 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Urban, Rural, Regional, and Transportation Analysis; Housing; Infrastructure
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • R10 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - General

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