Workshop on Japan’s Bubble, Deflation and Long-term Stagnation

March 21 - 22, 2008

Kellogg Center
School of International and Public Affairs
Columbia University
New York

Organized by
The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI),
Cabinet Office, Government of Japan
and
The Center on Japanese Economy and Business (CJEB),
Columbia Business School

Editorial Committee of the Project

Koichi Hamada, Yale University
Anil Kashyap, The University of Chicago
Masahiro Kuroda, President of the ESRI
David Weinstein, Columbia University

Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), Cabinet Office, Government of Japan

ESRI was founded in January 2001 as part of the Cabinet Office with the expansion of the functions and scale of the Economic Planning Agency's Economic Research Institute under the reorganization of Japan's central government ministries and agencies. Known as the "forum for knowledge" for the Cabinet, the Cabinet Office is in charge of key administrative issues. As the Cabinet Office's think tank, the ESRI could rightly be called the "forum for knowledge" within the "forum for knowledge" because the ESRI links theory with policy.

The main role of the ESRI is to strengthen its functions as a policy research institute by conducting theoretical and experimental research related to economic activities and policies, social activities, and other issues. Moreover, the ESRI implements research to contribute to the deliberations of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy (CEFP), working in coordination with the various departments of the Cabinet Office. The ESRI also trains and develops human resources to spearhead policy research. In addition, the ESRI compiles and publishes estimates for the gross domestic product (GDP) and other statistics in the System of National Accounts (SNA). The ESRI publishes both the Preliminary Quarterly GDP Estimates and the Annual Report on National Accounts. Moreover, the ESRI compiles and publishes the Diffusion Index and other business statistics.

URL: www.esri.go.jp/index-e.html

Center on Japanese Economy and Business, Columbia Business School

Established at Columbia Business School in 1986 under the direction of Professor Hugh Patrick, the Center on Japanese Economy and Business (CJEB) promotes knowledge and understanding of Japanese business and economics in an international context. The Center is a research organization widely recognized for its international programs, which provide prominent speakers from the public and private sectors a forum for collaboration and reflection on Japan, the United States, and the global economy.

In support of its mission, CJEB organizes and supports research projects, workshops, symposia, conferences, scholarly and professional exchanges, and library and computer-based resource initiatives. Core faculty members are Japan specialists drawn from Columbia's Business School, Law School, School of International and Public Affairs, Economics Department, and the Department of Political Science. David Weinstein, Carl S. Shoup Professor of the Japanese Economy at Columbia University, is the Associate Director for Research at the Center. He is also Research Associate and Director of the Japan Project at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Funding is provided by corporate sponsors, foundations, individuals, and University sources.

URL:www.gsb.columbia.edu/cjeb

Outline of the Research Project

"The Japanese Economy and Macroeconomic Policies from the Beginnings of the Bubble to the Overcoming of Deflation"

Workshop "Japan’s Bubble, Deflation and Long-Term Stagnation" Timetable