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Examination of the type series of Schizotus gibbifrons Lewis 1887 and Pyrochroa higoniae Lewis 1895, together with examination of the historical Lewis collection of Pseudopyrochroa japonica (Heyden 1879), provide hints as to the conspecifi city of these binomials. This evidence, together with concurrent collection events spanning more than 100 years and general anatomy suggests Pseudopyrochroa japonica (Heyden 1879) and Pseudopyrochroa gibbifrons (Lewis 1887) are conspecifi c. Schizotus gibbifrons Lewis is proposed as a new junior synonym of Pyrochroa japonica Heyden, where it joins the established synonym, Pyrochroa higoniae Lewis (1895). Schizotus theresae Pic 1911 is also proposed as a new junior synonym of Pyrochroa basalis Pic 1906, where it joins a long list of synonyms. Complete synonymies are presented for both species.
Traditional philology in Japan (kokubungaku) is often described, both at home and abroad, as having a phobia of theory. The literary scholar often speaks the same language as the poet, and in many cases, as in the second edition of Iwanami Literary Studies (Iwanami Kōza Bungaku, 1975–1976), they are one and the same person. However, a closer look at Japanese literary studies since the translation of Eagleton´s Literary Theory in 1985 reveals that this paradigm has already started to shift. The publication of the third edition of Iwanami Literary Studies, and in particular the supplement Literary Theory (Bungaku Riron, 2004) distinctly reflects this shift, at least among the younger generation of literary scholars. In my paper I will show not only the shift to theory in recent Japanese literary studies, but also that theory itself (as it is used in Japan) has experienced that worldwide movement described as the “cultural turn.” In order to prove this observation I will take a closer look at the contemporary English, German and Japanese discourse on literary theory and, in particular concepts such as contingency, (new) contextuality, and culturalism.
In trying to study the idea of landscape (fukei) in Japanese waka-poetry, one may find oneself confronted with a great variety of concepts. All of these share commonalities in that they are not at all defined, that their meaning depends on personal usage (at the level of the producer, as well as of the researcher who often speaks the same language), and that they can be understood on a wide spectrum between the two extreme positions marked by fiction and reality (without, of course, any scientific concept about what fiction and reality might be). Although European traditions are coping with the concept of landscape in an aesthetical and philosophical way, there is no such comparable tradition in traditional Japanese literary history (kokubungaku). Because of this, there is no satisfactory way to conceptually understand waka-landscape, since the very basic key-term itself is not mutually accessible. European and Japanese concepts of landscape may not, therefore, be able to be brought together. To have an international scientific discussion on landscape (found in every culture historically and up to the present), it is necessary to develop a concept of landscape which is not only an issue of arts, aesthetics or philosophy, but also the subject of anthropological approaches and cultural studies. In this paper, I attempt to develop a concept of landscape, which is based on constructivism and the psychology of perception and memory. I will also show how constructivist thought has gained great popularity in German social and cultural studies.
This paper reviews the rationale for quantitative easing when central bank policy rates reach near zero levels in light of recent announcements regarding direct asset purchases by the Bank of England, the Bank of Japan, the U.S. Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank. Empirical evidence from the previous period of quantitative easing in Japan between 2001 and 2006 is presented. During this earlier period the Bank of Japan was able to expand the monetary base very quickly and significantly. Quantitative easing translated into a greater and more lasting expansion of M1 relative to nominal GDP. Deflation subsided by 2005. As soon as inflation appeared to stabilize near a rate of zero, the Bank of Japan rapidly reduced the monetary base as a share of nominal income as it had announced in 2001. The Bank was able to exit from extensive quantitative easing within less than a year. Some implications for the current situation in Europe and the United States are discussed.
The unintended consequences of the debt ... will increased government expenditure hurt the economy?
(2011)
In 2008, governments in many countries embarked on large fiscal expenditure programmes, with the intention to support the economy and prevent a more serious recession. In this study, the overall impact of a substantial increase in fiscal expenditure is considered by providing a novel analysis of the most relevant recent experience in similar circumstances, namely that of Japan in the 1990s. Then a weak economy with risk-averse banks seemed to require some of the largest peacetime fiscal stimulation programmes on record, albeit with disappointing results. The explanations provided by the literature and their unsatisfactory empirical record are reviewed. An alternative explanation, derived from early Keynesian models on the ineffectiveness of fiscal policy is presented in the form of a modified Fisher-equation, which incorporates the recent findings in the credit view literature. The model postulates complete quantity crowding out. It is subjected to empirical tests, which were supportive. Thus evidence is found that fiscal policy, if not supported by suitable monetary policy, is likely to crowd out private sector demand, even in an environment of falling or near-zero interest rates. As a policy conclusion it is pointed out that by changing the funding strategy, complete crowding out can be avoided and a positive net effect produced. The proposed framework creates common ground between proponents of Keynesian views (as held, among others, by Blinder and Solow), monetarist views (as held in particular by Milton Friedman) and those of leading contemporary macroeconomists (such as Mankiw).
Interview mit Katerina Teaiwa über ihr Buch zu den Umweltschäden und schweren Menschenrechtsverletzungen auf der Insel Ocean Island (Banaba) aufgrund des Phosphatabbaus durch Besatzungs- und Kolonialmächte.
It has often been asked whether today´s Japan will be able to move into new and promising industries, or whether it is locked into an innovation system with an inherent inability to give birth to new industries. One argument reasons that the thick institutional complementarities among labour, innovation, and finance among its enterprises and the public sector favour industrial development in sectors of intermediate uncertainty, while it is difficult to move into areas of major uncertainty. In this paper, we present the case of the silver industry or, somewhat more prosaically, the 60+ or even 50+ industry, for which most would agree that Japan has indeed become a lead market and lead producer on the global market. For an institutional economist, the case of the silver industry is particularly interesting, because Japan´s success is based on the cooperation of existing actors, the enterprise and public sector in particular, which helped overcome the information uncertainties and asymmetries involved in the new market by relying on several established mechanisms developed well before. In that sense, Japan´s silver industry presents a case of of what we propose to call successful institutional path activation with the effect of an innovative market creation, instead of the problematic lockin effects that are usually associated with the term path dependence.
In contrast to the US and recently Europe, Japan appears to be unsuccessful in establishing new industries. An oft-cited example is Japan's practical invisibility in the global business software sector. Literature has ascribed Japan's weakness – or conversely, America's strength – to the specific institutional settings and competences of actors within the respective national innovation system. It has additionally been argued that unlike the American innovation system, with its proven ability to give birth to new industries, the inherent path dependency of the Japanese innovation system makes innovation and establishment of new industries quite difficult. However, there are two notable weaknesses underlying current propositions postulating that only certain innovation systems enable the creation of new industries: first, they mistakenly confound context specific with general empirical observations. And second, they grossly underestimate – or altogether fail to examine – the dynamics within innovation systems. This paper will show that it is precisely the dynamics within innovation systems – dynamics founded on the concept of path plasticity – which have enabled Japan to charge forward as a global leader in a highly innovative field: the game software sector as well as the biotechnology industry.
Pinkus : gefallene Engel
(2009)
Egal, wie man seine Vertreter nennt - ob "Pinku eiga", "roman porno" oder "ero guro": Das Reich des japanischen Erotikfilms ist hierzulande fernab Nagisa Oshimas und der Tokugawa-Streifen immer noch weitgehend unerforscht. Dabei stellt es unter anderem ein Sprungbrett für viele junge Filmemacher dar. Marcus Stiglegger berichtet über die Revolte des Fleisches unter der Roten Sonne.
The paper constructs a global monetary aggregate, namely the sum of the key monetary aggregates of the G5 economies (US, Euro area, Japan, UK, and Canada), and analyses its indicator properties for global output and inflation. Using a structural VAR approach we find that after a monetary policy shock output declines temporarily, with the downward effect reaching a peak within the second year, and the global monetary aggregate drops significantly. In addition, the price level rises permanently in response to a positive shock to the global liquidity aggregate. The similarity of our results with those found in country studies might supports the use of a global monetary aggregate as a summary measure of worldwide monetary trends. JEL Classification: E52, F01
Three species of the genus Pseudocandona Kaufmann, 1900 and one of the genus Undulacandona Smith, 2011, collected from freshwater habitats in Japan, are described. The Pseudocandona species, Pseudocandona becca sp. nov., Pseudocandona atmeta sp. nov. and Pseudocandona falcula sp. nov., all belong to the rostrata-group. Previous reports of Pseudocandona rostrata (Brady & Norman, 1889) and Pseudocandona sarsi (Hartwig, 1899) from Japan are reassessed and are subsequently synonymized with Pseudocandona tenuirostris Hiruta & Mawatari, 2013 and Pseudocandona falcula sp. nov. respectively. Undulacandona colymba sp. nov. is only the second to be described in this genus. Like the type species of the genus, it is a stygobiont, collected from groundwater in Shiga Prefecture. Additional records of Candona candida (O.F. Müller, 1776), are presented herein; so far, Japanese records of this species are restricted to the eastern part of Hokkaido.
Wenn man untersuchen möchte, ob sich die Finanzsysteme verschiedener Länder im Verlauf der letzten Jahre aneinander angeglichen haben oder demnächst angleichen werden, braucht man ein Konzept zur Beschreibung von Finanzsystemen, durch das wesentliche Strukturen, deren Unterschiede und Veränderungen erkennbar werden, ohne dabei in "Systemgeschwafel" (D. Schneider) abzugleiten. Wir haben dafür das Konzept der Komplementarität als nützlich identifiziert. Der Beitrag stellt dieses Konzept vor und soll und seine Eignung belegen. Letztlich geht es dabei auch um die Frage, ob reale Finanzsysteme konsistente Systeme mit komplementären Elementen darstellen. Nach der Vorstellung der formalen Konzepte der Komplementarität und der Konsistenz wird "das Finanzsystem" auf seine Komple mentarität untersucht. Dazu wird ein Finanzsystem aus der Sicht von Unternehmen des nichtfinanziellen Sektors als ein System gekennzeichnet, das aus drei Teilsystemen besteht. Das erste Teilsystem ist das Finanzierungssystem einschließlich Finanzsektor und Mustern der Unternehmensfinanzierung, das zweite das Corporate Governance-System und das dritte das Unternehmens-Strategie-System. Für alle drei Teilsysteme wird – allgemein und mit Bezug auf die Finanzsysteme Deutschlands, Japans und der USA - gezeigt, inwieweit die Elemente der betreffenden Teilsysteme untereinander komplementär sind, und geprüft, ob sie in ihren Ausprägungen auch konsistent sind, d.h. wirklich "zueinander passen". Untersucht wird auch die Komplementarität und Konsistenz zwischen den Teilsystemen selbst. Der Beitrag endet mit Überlegungen über die Anwendung des Komplementaritätskonzepts. Dass ein Finanzsystem die Eigenschaft der Komplementarität aufweist, hat nicht nur weitreichende Implikationen für die Methodik der Analyse von Finanzsystemen, sondern auch für die Vorhersehbarkeit der Entwicklung von Finanzsystemen und damit für die Wahrscheinlichkeit einer Konvergenz von Finanzsystemen, für deren Effizienzeigenschaften und für die Möglichkeiten, Finanzsysteme durch gestaltende Eingriffe zu verbessern.
Die Krimkrise dominiert seit Wochen die Medien (und auch dieses Blog). Und sie wird überall anders aufgenommen: In konservativen Kreisen der USA kann man fast schon Freude ob der Möglichkeit eines neuen kalten Kriegs erkennen, während Europa mit sich selbst und seiner Angst vor den möglichen Effekten von Sanktionen hadert. Die Echokammer der Außen- und Sicherheitspolitikgemeinde diskutiert all das seit Beginn der Krise. Dabei verliert man aber schnell außer Augen, welch teils skurrile Blüten die Krimkrise tragen kann. Gott sei Dank gibt es das Internet und in ihm die kleine Insel der japanischen Netzgemeinde, die erkannt hat was wirklich wichtig ist: Die Staatsanwältin der Krim sieht gut aus.
Heilige Texte im modernen Japan? : das "Kojiki" im Blick von Ōkura Kunihiko und Tsuda Sōkichi
(2017)
In räumlicher Erweiterung der Frage nach 'heiligen Texten' in der Moderne sei der Blick auf Japan gerichtet. Denn nicht unerheblich sind Überlegungen darüber, ob es sich beim 'heiligen Text' um eine über Europa hinaus anwendbare Denkfigur handelt, die auch Perspektiven für transkulturelle Forschungen eröffnet. Japan bietet durch seine lange, wechselvolle Erfahrung im Umgang mit anderen Kulturen einen idealen Fall für transkulturelle Vergleiche an, mit denen sowohl die Verhältnisse in Japan näher beleuchtet als auch zugleich die eigenen Ausgangsbedingungen hinterfragt werden können. Wie es dazu kam, dass gerade das 'Kojiki' zum exemplarischen 'heiligen Text' in Japan avancierte und welchem geistesgeschichtlichen Kontext diese Wahrnehmung verbunden ist, sei im Folgenden näher erläutert.
Mit diesem Verhältnis von Natur und Kultur im Kontext von Katastrophenerfahrungen hat sich eine Internationale Konferenz vom 1.-3. März 2012 an der Universität Heidelberg beschäftigt. Unter dem Titel “Imaging Disaster” haben Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler aus den Geschichts- und Kulturwissenschaften, der Kunstgeschichte, Japanologie, Soziologie und Politikwissenschaft über die Bedeutung von Katastrophenbildern diskutiert: über die Darstellung von Katastrophen in der europäischen Kirchenkunst und in der zeitgenössischen Kunst in Bangladesch, buddhistische Tempelbilder in Thailand, die Malerei des 18. Jahrhunderts in Europa, aber auch über Postkartenansichten des überfluteten Paris 1910 oder des Erdbebens in Japan 1923, Visualisierung von Szenarien des Klimawandels, politischen Cartoons und Medienberichte über Naturkatastrophen im 21. Jahrhundert...
Man sieht, schmeckt und riecht sie nicht, doch sie können tödlich sein – nukleare Strahlen sind eine unsichtbare Gefahr. Die schrecklichen und erschreckenden Bilder aus Japan – von der Flutkatastrophe und der Explosion im Atomkraftwerk Fukushima I – hören nicht auf. Diese Katastrophenbilder führen einmal mehr vor Augen, dass wir uns auf viele Risiken, Gefahren und Bedrohungen vorbereiten können; ihre Abwehr und Kontrolle scheint jedoch kaum möglich...
Markeninszenierung in Japan - zur narrativen Konstruktion der Lifestyle-Marken "Muji" und "Uniqlo"
(2020)
Die Einzelhandelsketten "Muji" und "Uniqlo" gelten als Musterbeispiele für international erfolgreiche Lifestyle-Marken aus Japan. Aus einer interdisziplinären Perspektive heraus identifiziert Christiane Rühle die Strukturen und Akteure dieser spezifischen Markeninszenierungen und arbeitet die dazugehörigen Positionen, Mittel und zentralen Motive heraus. Sie fragt im Kontext von unternehmensbezogener und nationalstaatlicher Imagebildung nach den Bezügen zwischen Konsum, Kultur und Identität und fokussiert dabei auf die Rolle, die privatwirtschaftliche Unternehmen innerhalb dieses Prozesses einnehmen.
Our most recent podcast: We were able to talk to the Japanese culturalanthropologist Mihara Ryôtarô while he visited Frankfurt in July for a talkon the Coool Japan Initiative [link]. As we have written on K-Pop in the past,we were very interested to talk about this kind of export promotion ofcultural goods as a foreign policy strategy: Do export subsidies of J-Popartifacts really promote Japanese soft power in the region? What are thedangers of promoting certain images of Japanese-ness? And is fried sushireally cool?
Amage imajimai sp. nov., a new species of Ampharetidae (Annelida: Polychaeta) from Japanese waters
(2015)
A new polychaete species of the family Ampharetidae, Amage imajimai sp. nov., is described from deep waters of Sagami Bay, Japan. It is characterized by the possession of four pairs of branchiae, twelve thoracic uncinigers, eleven abdominal uncinigers, and the lack of thoracic notopodial cirri. The new species is named in honor of the renowned Japanese polychaetologist Minoru Imajima. An identification key for all Amage species from Japanese waters is provided.
The artworks of the Peruvian artist Carlos Runcie Tanaka, who has his British and Japanese Roots combined in his surname, refer to pre-Columbian ceramics and traditional Peruvian, Japanese and European practices. He represented Peru in ARCOmadrid 2019, the 12th Havana Biennial, the XXVI Sao Paulo Biennial, the 49th Venice Biennale, and the I Bienal Iberoamericana de Lima. In August, we sat down to talk about music, the past, the present, and the future. We discussed how all references of time can be combined into one material.
By studying pre-Columbian ceramics, researchers have developed several interpretations about the lifestyle and cosmovision of the ancient Peruvian people. Many of the techniques and motifs included in these traditional practices are still being passed on to communities throughout the country today. This ancestral knowledge is a fundamental element of identity. Therefore, ceramic is a material that has made the generation of historical discourse and the preservation of cultural memory possible. At the same time, ceramics are connected to aspects of our daily life. As objects of daily use (such as mugs, plates and bowls) they contribute to the fulfillment of basic needs. They are also included in ritual and funerary practices. In conclusion, the use of ceramics can be understood not only in a practical sense, but in an artistic sense as well.
Two new species of the genus Chrysotus Meigen, 1824 are described: Ch. masunagai Negrobov, Kumazawa, Tago sp. nov and Ch. saigusai Negrobov, Kumazawa & Tago sp. nov. Chrysotus parilis Parent, 1926 is recorded from Japan for the first time. An identification key to all known species of the genus Chrysotus of Japan is presented together with a tree diagram showing relationships among them.
Das Ziel des Beitrags ist, die von uns entwickelten digitalen Materialien einer Ausspracheschulung für den DaF-Unterricht in japanischen Hochschulen vorzustellen. Im Mittelpunkt steht dabei die Diskussion, wie die Ausspracheschulung mit digitalen Medien im Deutschunterricht, vor allem im Online-Unterricht, aussehen soll.
Seit der Meiji-Zeit spielte die Germanistik unter den Fremdsprachenphilologien an japanischen Universitäten eine Sonderrolle. Von konservativen Politikern gefördert, um den aus England und Frankreich importieren demokratischen Ideen entgegenzuwirken (vgl. Naka 1998), konnte das Deutsche unter den zweiten Fremdsprachen bis in die jüngste Zeit seine führende Rolle behaupten. Inzwischen ist das Fach jedoch aus internen und externen Gründen in eine Krise geraten. Die seit der Nachkriegszeit mehrfach in Angriff genommene, aber erst seit Ende der 80er Jahre tatsächlich einsetzende Universitätsreform spielt dabei eine entscheidende Rolle. Es wird im folgenden darum gehen, die Germanistik innerhalb dieses wesentlich politisch bestimmten Feldes zu verorten. Ich werde zunächst einige Grundlinien der japanischen Universität in Erinnerung bringen, wie sie bis in die 80er Jahre hinein einigermaßen unbefragt galten, anschließend die Probleme skizzieren, die sich daraus ergaben und die Universitätsreform erläutern. Abschließend wird es um die Folgen für die Germanistik, die zweiten Fremdsprachen und das Deutsche gehen. Sämtliche Ausführungen beziehen sich, wenn nicht anders vermerkt, auf die staatlichen Universitäten. Die privaten Universitäten haben naturgemäß mehr Freiheiten bei der Gestaltung ihrer Studiengänge und spielen daher teilweise eine Vorreiterrolle. In Ausrichtung, Zielgruppe und finanziellen Möglichkeiten sind sie aber so unterschiedlich, daß sie nur schwer als Gruppe zu fassen sind. Dennoch ergeben sich Übereinstimmungen mit den staatlichen Universitäten, weil sie deren ökonomisches und demographisches Umfeld teilen. Zudem müssen sich auch die privaten Hochschulen an die Richtlinien des Erziehungsministeriums halten. Auch für sie gelten also die Grundlinien der Reformen, es müssen hier aber je nach Ausrichtung der Hochschule verschieden starke Abstriche gemacht werden.
Glyptostrobus Endlicher is well represented in early Early Cretaceous to Pleistocene deposits in the middle to high latitudes of North America and Eurasia. Although the taxonomy and nomenclature of the genus is complicated, the fossil record indicates Glyptostrobus was represented by a small number of species. The genus first appears in Aptian age deposits from western Canada and Greenland, and achieved a wide distribution early in its evolutionary history. Exchange of Glyptostrobus between Asia and North America occurred across the Spitsbergen and Beringian corridors, which were functional about 110 and 100 million years ago, respectively The Late Cretaceous fossil record of Glyptostrobus shows that the genus had spread into Russia, China and the shores of the Turgai Strait. By the early Tertiary, Glyptostrobus was a prominent constituent of the polar broad-leaved deciduous forests. Paleocene age deposits across western Canada and the United States indicate the genus was present in great abundance in the lowland warm temperate and subtropical forests east of the Rocky Mountains. The broad distribution in North America and Russia during the Paleocene and Eocene indicates that Glyptostrobus grew and reproduced under a diverse range of climatic and environmental conditions, including the cold and unique lighting conditions of the polar latitudes. The presence of Glyptostrobus in Europe indicates the North Atlantic land bridges that extended between North America and Eurasia (Fennoscandia) and Europe during the early Tertiary were used. In Europe, extensive Glyptostrobus dominated swan1ps occupied the Central European Depression during the late Tertiary. Increasing global aridity and cooling, as well as landscape stabilization together with increasing competition for resources and habitat by representatives of the Pinaceae, seem to have forced the genus out of North America, Europe and most of Asia during the Miocene and Pliocene. In Japan, Glyptostrobus persisted until the early Pleistocene. After the early Pleistocene extinction in Japan, Glyptostrobus reappeared in southeastern China. Details of the taxonomic and biogeographic history of Glyptostrobus are examined.
Es mag sein, dass sich die japanische Kultur – ganz abgesehen von der Schrift – nicht leicht lesen lässt. Aber warum denn nicht? Warum soll uns die reizvolle Erfahrung erspart bleiben, dass ein wirtschaftlich und technologisch ebenbürtiger Partner der Weltgesellschaft sein Niveau auf einem andern Weg, aufgrund einer verschiedenen sozialen Kultur erreicht hat? Dass sich vermeintliche Universalien – Natur, Liebe, Religion, Familie, Individualität, Bindung, Freiheit – auch ganz anders buchstabieren und in stark abweichender Besetzung bis in 21. Jahrhundert mit Erfolg halten lassen? Warum eigentlich sollen wir nicht besser lesen lernen?
Diversity and distribution of adeonid bryozoans (Cheilostomata: Adeonidae) in Japanese waters
(2016)
Adeonid bryozoans construct antler-like erect colonies and are common in bryozoan assemblages along the Japanese Pacific coast. The taxonomy of Japanese adeonid species, however, has not been studied since their original descriptions more than 100 years ago. In the present study, adeonid specimens from historical collections and material recently collected along the Japanese coast are examined. Eight adeonid species in two genera were detected, of which Adeonella jahanai sp. nov., Adeonellopsis parvirostrum sp. nov., and Adeonellopsis toyoshioae sp. nov. are described as new species based on the branch width, size and morphology of frontal or suboral avicularia, shape and size of areolar pores, and size of the spiramen. Adeonellopsis arculifera (Canu & Bassler, 1929) is a new record for Japan. Lectotypes for Adeonellopsis japonica (Ortmann, 1890) and Adeonella sparassis (Ortmann, 1890) were selected among Ortmann’s syntypes. Most species of Adeonellopsis around Japan have a southern distribution from Sagami Bay to Okinawa, while A. japonica shows a more northern distribution from Kouchi to Otsuchi. In contrast, Adeonellopsis arculifera was collected only from southwestern Japan. A key to Japanese adeonid species is provided.
PURPOSE: This theoretical study seeks to understand how the development of ‘Transnational Business Feminism’ in response to the 2008 financial crisis, was implemented in 2013 through Japan’s ‘Womenomics’ program. The paper further examines how efficient this said form of neoliberal feminist economic program was in in addressing vulnerabilities in the Japanese financial system during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Finally, it looks at how the pandemic has shifted conversations around the future of gender and finance in Japan through the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) framework.
DESIGN/METHOD: Drawing on a variety of sources, this paper uses a case study research methodology as well as statistical data from a variety of sources to draw theoretical conclusions on the specific case of Japan’s economy.
RESULTS/FINDINGS: This paper reveals that the programs implemented by the Japanese government failed to address existing gender inequalities and systemic risk in the Japanese economy, and that women in Japan were hit much harder by the repercussions of the pandemic, in spite of Womenomics policies.
ORIGINALITY/VALUE: This study offers insights into the effectiveness of neoliberal feminist agendas in addressing systemic financial and economic risk, in order to help optimize the potential of ESG.
The Japanese micropterigid moths are revised. Seventeen species in five genera are recognized from Japan, described or redescribed with the male and female genital figures. Of these, two genera, Issikiomartyria HASHIMOTO and Kurolkopteryx HASHIMOTO, and seven species, Issikiomartyria akemiae HASHIMOTO, Issikiomartylia plicata HASHIMOTO, Issihiomartyria distincta HASHIMOTO, Issihiomartyria bisegmentata HASHIMOTO, Kurokopteryx dolichocerata HASHIMOTO, Neomicropteryx hiwana HASHIMOTO, and Neomicropteryx redacta HASHIMOTO, are new to science. A new combination is given: Issikiomartyria nudata (Issuu). Biology and immature structures of the Japanese species are also described together with the keys to genera and to species provided on the basis of the adult characters. Phylogenetic relationships among the Northern Hemisphere genera are analyzed by the cladistic analysis using PAUP* (SWOFFORD, 2002) based on the morphological characters of adults. A monophyly of the Northern Hemisphere genera except for Micropterix is supported by nine apomorphies, but their immediate sister taxon remains unresolved.
A widely recognized paper by Colin Mayer (1988) has led to a profound revision of academic thinking about financing patterns of corporations in different countries. Using flow-of-funds data instead of balance sheet data, Mayer and others who followed his lead found that internal financing is the dominant mode of financing in all countries, that therefore financial patterns do not differ very much between countries and that those differences which still seem to exist are not at all consistent with the common conviction that financial systems can be classified as being either bank-based or capital market-based. This leads to a puzzle insofar as it calls into question the empirical foundation of the widely held belief that there is a correspondence between the financing patterns of corporations on the one side, and the structure of the financial sector and the prevailing corporate governance system in a given country on the other side. The present paper addresses this puzzle on a methodological and an empirical basis. It starts by demonstrating that the surprising empirical results found by Mayer et al. are due to a hidden assumption underlying their methodology. It then derives an alternative method of measuring financing patterns, which also uses flow-of-funds data, but avoids the questionable assumption. This measurement concept is then applied to patterns of corporate financing in Germany, Japan and the United States. The empirical results are very much in line with the commonly held belief prior to Mayer’s influential contribution and indicate that the financial systems of the three countries do indeed differ from one another in a substantial way.
A widely recognized paper by Colin Mayer (1988) has led to a profound revision of academic thinking about financing patterns of corporations in different countries. Using flow-of-funds data instead of balance sheet data, Mayer and others who followed his lead found that internal financing is the dominant mode of financing in all countries, that financing patterns do not differ very much between countries and that those differences which still seem to exist are not at all consistent with the common conviction that financial systems can be classified as being either bank-based or capital market-based. This leads to a puzzle insofar as it calls into question the empirical foundation of the widely held belief that there is a correspondence between the financing patterns of corporations on the one side, and the structure of the financial sector and the prevailing corporate governance system in a given country on the other side. The present paper addresses this puzzle on a methodological and an empirical basis. It starts by comparing and analyzing various ways of measuring financial structure and financing patterns and by demonstrating that the surprising empirical results found by studies that relied on net flows are due to a hidden assumption. It then derives an alternative method of measuring financing patterns, which also uses flow-of-funds data, but avoids the questionable assumption. This measurement concept is then applied to patterns of corporate financing in Germany, Japan and the United States. The empirical results, which use an estimation technique for determining gross flows of funds in those cases in which empirical data are not available, are very much in line with the commonly held belief prior to Mayer’s influential contribution and indicate that the financial systems of the three countries do indeed differ from one another in a substantial way, and moreover in a way which is largely in line with the general view of the differences between the financial systems of the countries covered in the present paper.
Initiated by the seminal work of Diamond/Dybvig (1983) and Diamond (1984), advances in the theory of financial intermediation have sharpened our understanding of the theoretical foundations of banks as special financial institutions. What makes them "unique" is the combination of accepting deposits and issuing loans. However, in recent years the notion of "disintermediation" has gained tremendous popularity, especially among American observers. These observers argue that deregulation, globalisation and advances in information technology have been eroding the role of banks as intermediaries and thus their alleged uniqueness. It is even assumed that ever more efficiently organised capital markets and specialised financial institutions that take advantage of these markets, such as mutual funds or finance companies, will lead to the demise of banks. Using a novel measurement concept based on intermediation and securitisation ratios, the present article provides evidence which shows that banking disintermediation is indeed a reality for the US financial system. This seems to indicate that American banks are not all that "unique"; they can be replaced to a considerable extent. Moreover, many observers seem to believe that what has happened in the US reflects a universal trend. However, empirical results reported in this paper indicate that such a trend has not manifested itself in other financial systems, and in particular, not in Germany or Japan. Evidence on the enormous structural differences between financial systems and the lack of unequivocal signs of convergence render any inferences from the American experience to other financial systems very problematic.
In den 1980er und den frühen 1990er Jahren waren japanische Banken die weltweit größten Finanzinstitute und galten als Inbegriff „globaler“ Banken. Der Crash der japanischen Wertpapier- und Immobilienmärkte Anfang der 1990er Jahre und die nachfolgende Rezession waren Anlass zu tiefgreifenden Reformen im japanischen Finanzsystem. Die japanischen Banken waren gezwungen, ihre internationalen Strategien zu reformulieren. Als Konsequenz zogen sie sich aus vielen Märkten zurück und strukturierten ihre internationalen Netzwerke um. Vor dem Hintergrund theoretischer Überlegungen zu der Bedeutung von „Globalität“ und einer empirischen Untersuchung der Entwicklung der Auslandsstellennetze japanischer Banken in den 1980er und 1990er Jahren stellt der vorliegende Beitrag die Globalität japanischer Banken in Frage.
We test the menu cost model of Ball and Mankiw (1994, 1995), which implies that the impact of price dispersion on inflation should differ between inflation and deflation episodes, using data for Japan and Hong Kong. We use a random cross-section sample split when calculating the moments of the distribution of price changes to mitigate the small-cross-sectionsample bias noted by Cecchetti and Bryan (1999). The parameter on the third moment is positive and significant in both countries during both the inflation and deflation periods, and the parameter on the second moment changes sign in the deflation period, as the theory predicts. Keywords: inflation, deflation, menu costs, Hong Kong, Japan JEL Numbers: E31
Die Unterschiede zwischen den jüngst in Europa nachgewiesenen Thamnobryum subserratum, welches unter diesem Namen aus Japan und als Th. allegheniense aus Nordamerika bekannt ist, sowie dem zuvor nur aus dem westlichen Nordamerika bekannten Thamnobryum neckeroides und dem heimischen Thamnobryum alopecurum sind nach der Literatur zusammengestellt und an Hand von Herbarmaterial illustriert. Die Variabilität von Thamnobryum alopecurum ist diskutiert.
Japan's quest for energy security : risks and opportunities in a changing geopolitical landscape
(2011)
For much of the 20th century, economic growth was fueled by cheap oil-based energy supply. Due to increasing resource constraints, however, the political and strategic importance of oil has become a significant part of energy and foreign policy making in East and Southeast Asian countries. In Japan, the rise of China’s economic and military power is a source of considerable concern. To enhance energy security, the Japanese government has recently amended its energy regulatory framework, which reveals high political awareness of risks resulting from the looming key resources shortage and competition over access. An essential understanding that national energy security is a politically and economically sensitive area with a clear international dimension affecting everyday life is critical in shaping a nation’s energy future.
Intangible assets as goodwill, licenses, research and development or customer relations become in high technology and service orientated economies more and more important. But comparing the book values of listed companies and their market capitalization the financial reports seems to fail the information needs of market participants regarding the estimate of the proper firm value. Moreover, with the introduction of Anglo-American accounting systems in Europe and Asia we can observe even in the accounts of companies sited in the same jurisdiction diverging accounting practices for intangible assets caused by different accounting standards. To assess the relevance of intangible assets in Japanese and German accounts of listed companies we therefore measure certain balance sheet and profit and loss relations according to goodwill and self-developed software. We compare and analyze valuation rules for goodwill and software costs according to German GAAP, Japanese GAAP, US GAAP and IAS to determine the possible impact of diverging rules in the comparability of the accounts. Our results show that the comparability of the accounts is impaired because of different accounting practices. The recognition and valuation of goodwill and self-developed software varies significantly according to the accounting regime applied. However, for the recognition of self-developed software, the effect on the average impact on asset coefficients or profit is not that high. Moreover, an industry bias can only be found for the financial industry. In contrast, for goodwill accounting we found major differences especially between German and Japanese Blue Chips. The introduction of the new goodwill impairment only approach and the prohibition of the pooling method may have a major impact especially for Japanese companies’ accounts.
Das weibliche Herz hat im Allgemeinen folgende Fehler: Ungehorsam, Verdrießlichkeit, Schimpfsucht, Eifersucht und Dummheit. Diese fünf Fehler finden sich sicherlich bei sieben oder acht von zehn Frauen, und deshalb stehen sie den Männern nach ... Unter den Fehlern ist die Dummheit der Grund für alle anderen. Die Frau hat die Natur des Yin. Dieses Yin ist Nacht und Dunkel. Wenn man deshalb die Frauen mit den Männern vergleicht, sind sie dumm; sie wissen nicht das ganz Selbstverständliche und verstehen nicht einmal das, was Schande über sie bringen wird. (NEUSSKANEKO, Margret: Familie und Gesellschaft in Japan. Seite 27)
In this paper we study the role of the exchange rate in conducting monetary policy in an economy with near-zero nominal interest rates as experienced in Japan since the mid-1990s. Our analysis is based on an estimated model of Japan, the United States and the euro area with rational expectations and nominal rigidities. First, we provide a quantitative analysis of the impact of the zero bound on the effectiveness of interest rate policy in Japan in terms of stabilizing output and inflation. Then we evaluate three concrete proposals that focus on depreciation of the currency as a way to ameliorate the effect of the zero bound and evade a potential liquidity trap. Finally, we investigate the international consequences of these proposals.
Using a set of regional inflation rates we examine the dynamics of inflation dispersion within the U.S.A., Japan and across U.S. and Canadian regions. We find that inflation rate dispersion is significant throughout the sample period in all three samples. Based on methods applied in the empirical growth literature, we provide evidence in favor of significant mean reversion (ß-convergence) in inflation rates in all considered samples. The evidence on ó-convergence is mixed, however. Observed declines in dispersion are usually associated with decreasing overall inflation levels which indicates a positive relationship between mean inflation and overall inflation rate dispersion. Our findings for the within-distribution dynamics of regional inflation rates show that dynamics are largest for Japanese prefectures, followed by U.S. metropolitan areas. For the combined U.S.-Canadian sample, we find a pattern of within-distribution dynamics that is comparable to that found for regions within the European Monetary Union (EMU). In line with findings in the so-called 'border literature' these results suggest that frictions across European markets are at least as large as they are, e.g., across North American markets. Klassifikation: E31, E52, E58
Recently, the Bank of Japan outlined a “two perspectives” approach to the conduct of monetary policy that focuses on risks to price stability over different time horizons. Interpreting this as pertaining to different frequency bands, we use band spectrum regression to study the determination of inflation in Japan. We find that inflation is related to money growth and real output growth at low frequencies and the output gap at higher frequencies. Moreover, this relationship reflects Granger causality from money growth and the output gap to inflation in the relevant frequency bands. Keywords: spectral regression, frequency domain, Phillips curve, quantity theory. JEL Numbers: C22, E3, E5