The 172nd meeting jointly organized with International Public Policy Seminar
Date Friday, November 21 , 2025 13:30 to 15:00
Place Zoom meeting.
Presenter Susumu Cato, Institute of Social Science, The University of Tokyo.
Title: “Long-run Evolution of Gini Inequality in Japan, 1722–1840” (joint work with Masaki Nakabayashi)
Abstract:
This paper investigates the long-run evolution of income inequality in Tokugawa Japan. In particular, we examine the impact of a tax reform implemented in the early eighteenth century. The reform contributed to a reduction in inequality between social classes, notably improving the position of the “middle class,” consisting of relatively wealthy villagers. To address the limited availability of detailed income data, we employ a decomposability approach to inequality measurement.
Please email your application.
【Office】
Institute of Social Science, The University of Tokyo
Yuri Kitabayashi yuri-kitabayashi@iss.u-tokyo.ac.jp