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Large Fires and the Rise of Fire Insurance in Pre-war Japan

Author

Listed:
  • Tetsuji Okazaki

    (Faculty of Economics, The University of Tokyo)

  • Toshihiro Okubo

    (Faculty of Economics, Keio University)

  • Eric Strobl

    (Department of Economics, University of Bern)

Abstract

We explore the role that large fires played in the early developed of the fire insurance industry of pre-WWII Japan. To this end we construct a prefecture level data set spanning thirty years. Our econometric results show that large fires led to an increase in new policies and policy renewals, a result that is in line with historical narratives that insurance companies used these events to advertise their business. We also show that this subsequent surge in renewals and new policy holders led to more fraudulent behaviour by increasing the number of small fires due to arson, whereas there was no effect on unintentionally set small fires. While we are unable to identify whether this was due to adverse selection of new policy holders or moral hazard behaviour of existing ones, anecdotal evidence that is more likely to have been the latter.

Suggested Citation

  • Tetsuji Okazaki & Toshihiro Okubo & Eric Strobl, 2023. "Large Fires and the Rise of Fire Insurance in Pre-war Japan," CIRJE F-Series CIRJE-F-1220, CIRJE, Faculty of Economics, University of Tokyo.
    • Handle: RePEc:tky:fseres:2023cf1220
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Matthew Rabin & Ted O'Donoghue, 1999. "Doing It Now or Later," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 89(1), pages 103-124, March.
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G22 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Insurance; Insurance Companies; Actuarial Studies
    • G52 - Financial Economics - - Household Finance - - - Insurance
    • N25 - Economic History - - Financial Markets and Institutions - - - Asia including Middle East

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