What's CIRJE

Overview

The Center for International Research on the Japanese Economy (CIRJE) was established in September 1998 as a center affiliated with the Graduate School of Economics, Faculty of Economics, the University of Tokyo. CIRJE has inherited the spirit of its predecessor, the Research Institute for the Japanese Economy (established in April 1963). The Center promotes both basic and applied research, focusing on international joint research on the Japanese economy. Its main mission is to create an environment in which researchers from Japan and overseas exchange and disseminate cutting-edge research ideas by participating in joint research projects, seminars, and study groups.

The Center has hosted and co-hosted numerous international conferences and invited many world's leading researchers, including Nobel Prize winners. The recent outbreak of COVID-19 has made it difficult to invite researchers to the Center and organize off-line conferences. However, the Center has made a hard effort to keep promoting research by online activities such as online seminars.

The Center will continue to serve as a center of excellence for researchers both from Japan and overseas. As the Director of the Center, I sincerely ask for your continuing cooperation and support for our activities and development.

April 2022
Kosuke Aoki
Director, CIRJE

Research Programs of CIRJE

CIRJE is to carry out various researches through following departments:

1. International Comparative Studies Program

This program studies the Japanese macro economic situation, business and industry, legal and other institutions, and history from the perspectives of international comparison. Our research is divided into the following three fields.

  1. The Field of International Comparative Studies of Economy
  2. The Field of International Comparative Studies of Firm
  3. The Field of International Comparative Studies of History and Institution

2. Statistical and Historical Material Program

This program collects statistical data and historical materials and analyzes them with the purpose of promoting comparative studies. We have valuable archives on labor statistics and Yamaichi Securities. Their classification is now in progress under the supervision of the Faculty of Economics. This program is divided into two categories and each one has joint research projects.

  1. The Field of Statistical and Historical Material of Japanese Economy
  2. The Field of Joint Research of Statistical and Historical Material Analysis

3. International Joint Research Program

The goal of the program is to organize and manage joint research projects with foreign scholars, and to organize international workshops and conferences.

  1. Joint Research Projects with Scholars from Other Institutions
    　  CIRJE welcomes scholars from other research institutions and universities. A varied and distinguished group of scholars have already visited and conducted joint research projects with CIRJE fellows or other economics faculty.
  2. International Conferences
       CIRJE organizes/sponsors international conferences every year, to facilitate interaction with scholars who study various aspects of the Japanese economy.

Partnerships

The Center for International Research on the Japanese Economy (CIRJE) has formed a partnership with the International Business and Markets Research Center at the Kellogg School of Management directed by Professor Daniel Spulber. This partnership will deepen informational ties between the two research centers and explore possibilities of future joint research. It intends to generate increased mutual interest and understanding of research topics at the partnering centers and their home universities.
The partnership was formed in October 2001, while Professor Johannes Moenius stayed at the CIRJE as a short term visitor. This visit facilitated the formation of the partnership engineered by the directors of the two centers. As a result of the new partnership, a first joint research project on industry coordination in Japan was established. Mutual visits of faculty and additional joint research projects are expected in the future.

Discussion Papers and Newsletters

  1. Discussion Papers
      CIRJE publishes a series of discussion papers, which are available for download at the CIRJE website. CIRJE also circulates the discussion papers to institutions and universities both inside and outside of Japan.
  2. Newsletters
      CIRJE publishes "CIRJE Newsletter". English version is published annually, and Japanese version is published biannually. It summarizes CIRJE supported activities including conferences, visitors, workshops and research projects from the previous year. The CIRJE Newsletter is distributed to many institutions and university libraries.

Workshops

CIRJE has a close cooperative relationship with the Faculty of Economics of The University of Tokyo. It supports various regular workshops organized by the Faculty of Economics.

  1. Microeconomics Workshop
  2. Macroeconomics Workshop
  3. Applied Statistics Workshop
  4. The Urban Economics Workshop
  5. The Political Economy Workshop
  6. Workshop on Management
  7. Research Meeting for Economic History
  8. Empirical Micro Research Seminar
  9. Tokyo Workshop on International and Development Economics (TWID)
  10. Public Finance Workshop
  11. Political Economy Tokyo Seminar (PoETS)
  12. Hisorian's Workshop
  13. Area Studies Workshop
  14. CIRJE Special Seminar

Administrative Structure of CIRJE