ARIMOTO, Yutaka

My research thus far has aimed to understand and address socioeconomic issues in two areas: developing economies across the world and agriculture in contemporary Japan.

In my research on developing economies, in addition to examining the contemporary issues faced by such economies, I analyzed how the same issues arose in Japan during its period as a developing country and how Japan solved (or failed to solve) them. In doing so, I sought to derive lessons and policy implications from Japan's historical experience. The specific issues that I addressed include the efficiency of tenancy contracts on agricultural land, the impact of community-driven development programs, the economic effects of industrial clusters on productivity, and issues related to agricultural marketing and distribution. I applied both theoretical and empirical (microeconomic data analysis) approaches in this research.

My research on agriculture in contemporary Japan focused, in particular, on the reallocation of agricultural land for more efficient use in the age of mechanization. I have published research findings on the characteristics and limitations of the Japanese agricultural land market and on the clustering of agricultural land (through replotting and exchange or consolidation of land).