Research

Working Papers:

[1] Hidehiko Ichimura, Yasuyuki Sawada, Yutaro Takayasu, and Mari Tanaka, "The Last or Lasting Samurai? The Impact of Secondary Schools on Elite Formation after Social Transition" [link]

Abstract: When societies transition from hereditary to meritocratic systems, does the democratization of education foster social mobility? We investigate this question in Japan after the Meiji Restoration (1868), which abolished the samurai's hereditary privileges in public sector positions. Using cohort-specific discontinuities in access to newly established secondary schools, we examine how expanded educational opportunities influenced the likelihood of attaining leadership roles in the public and private sectors for samurai and commoners. We find that secondary education increased the number of elites from both social groups, yet most new elites pursued occupations historically associated with their families. However, within both social groups, the new elites entirely came from non-elite fathers, suggesting that secondary education fostered upward mobility.

[2] Yutaro Takayasu, "Intergenerational Persistence of Elite Status in Prewar Japan"

Abstract: Clark and Ishi (2012) and Clark (2014) show that elite persistence within one generation (30 years) has a similar rate across different countries and family backgrounds. However, they do not explore potential differences in elite persistence between close family members and extended relatives. To address this gap, we construct a unique dataset of father-son pairs among the top 0.1% of socially distinguished individuals, such as CEOs and high-ranking civil servants. Our findings indicate that elite persistence is similar across social classes and occupations (0.40–0.51), even when focusing only on direct father-son relationships.

[3] Hiroshi Kumanomido, Yutaro Takayasu "Elite Persistence in Family: The Role of Adoption in Prewar Japan"[link]

Abstract: Why can elite families often maintain their social and economic status over multiple generations? We show that adoption can contribute to the persistence of elite status by utilizing a unique historical framework of prewar Japan. However, the preference for adoptive heirs may lead to selection bias in the process of choosing heirs, potentially biasing OLS results negatively. To address this selection bias, we use the gender of the firstborn child as an instrument for the adoption decision. We find that having an adoptive heir increases the probability of maintaining elite status in the son's generation by 20.6% compared to having a biological heir. Furthermore, we show that this result is driven by matching high-quality adopted sons with fathers who were highly successful in their early lives.

Papers in Japanese:

『戦前期日本におけるトップエリートの世代間流動性に関する考察』三菱経済研究所, 2024年9月(not peer reviewed)

Work in Progress:

[4] The Origins of Lean Production: U.S. Training for Japanese Firms after WWII

with Michela Giorcelli, Mari Tanaka, and Yuki Higuchi.

[5] Reconstructing the Elites? Intergenerational Transmission of Elite Status through WWII

with Hiroshi Kumanomido

Presentation schedule in 2025:

4/17 Paper[1]@ Research Workshop at Musashi U

7/3-4 Paper[1]@Asian Economic Development Conference at Peking U

Past Presentation schedule:

2025