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This book explores the impact of population aging on energy use patterns in society from both a theoretical and an empirical angle, with a specific focus on Japan and Spain.Many developed countries are currently experiencing both population aging and population decline, while the demand for social services, such as health care and public transportation, is expected to increase. This book expands upon these well-known socioeconomic challenges and explores the less well-known and more complex relationship between population aging, time allocation to social practices, and energy resource consumption. In the face of energy supply scarcity and climate change concerns, the impact of population aging on energy consumption is of paramount importance. By focusing on the effects of changing time allocation patterns on social practices, the book shows that the impact of population aging on energy consumption will affect not just only affect the residential sector but also other socio-economic sectors of society. Using data from Japan and Spain – currently among the fastest- aging countries in the world – the volume shows that the challenges of an aging society are far more complex and worrying than previously anticipated. If an aging society is an inevitable future, we need to prepare for the challenges that lie ahead.Written by researchers in the fields of demography, economics, environmental engineering, geography, physics, and transportation engineering, this book will compel academics and policy makers to reflect on these problems and act.

This open access book evaluates, from an economic perspective, various measures introduced in Japan to prevent climate change. Although various countries have implemented such policies in response to the pressing issue of climate change, the effectiveness of those programs has not been sufficiently compared. In particular, policy evaluations in the Asian region are far behind those in North America and Europe due to data limitations and political reasons.The first part of the book summarizes measures in different sectors in Japan to prevent climate change, such as emissions trading and carbon tax, and assesses their impact. The second part shows how those policies have changed the behavior of firms and households. In addition, it presents macro-economic simulations that consider the potential of renewable energy. Lastly, based on these comprehensive assessments, it compares the effectiveness of measures to prevent climate change in Japan and Western countries.Providing valuable insights, this book will appeal to both academic researchers and policymakers seeking cost-effective measures against climate change.

This book reviews the past 116 Japanese outbound acquisitions in three decades and determines success and failure, with the goal of explaining what works. Dr. Matsumoto emphasizes that such acquisitions are part of a long-term strategy and should not be judged based short-term gains and losses, especially short-term changes in company stock prices. The book also highlights common pitfalls hidden within the expected benefits of these overseas acquisitions. Dr. Matsumoto provides valuable insights for executives, corporate managers working on strategy, finance and overseas development, practitioners, researchers and MBA students trying to succeed in cross border merger and acquisitions using 16 case studies and careful investigation.

Food credence attributes are food features that are difficult to verify even after consumption. Consumers, today, are concerned about many food credence attributes, including animal rights, contamination risk, fair trade practice, genetic modification, geographical origin, and organic farming. For the past several decades, many scholars have analyzed the value consumers place on credence attributes and have reported that consumers will pay a premium for foods with these desirable properties. In addition, their studies reveal that individual consumers place greater importance on some credence attributes than others. For example, some are seriously concerned about animal welfare, while others are solely concerned about food safety. One of the objectives of this book is to summarize recent empirical findings from scholarly works on how consumers value food credence attributes. Such knowledge would benefit producers, processors, retailers, and policy makers.Another objective of this book is to discuss the effectiveness of the programs that have been introduced to strengthen the relationship between producers and consumers. Many programs have been developed to more effectively inform consumers regarding food production processes.

A typical consumer underestimates the benefits of future energy savings and underinvests in energy efficiency, relative to a description of the socially optimal level of energy efficiency. To alleviate this energy-efficiency gap problem, various programs have been implemented. In recent years, many governments have started providing consumers with subsidies on the purchases of eco-friendly products such as hybrid cars and energy efficient appliances. This book conducts a comprehensive analysis of the environmental subsidy programs conducted in Japan and examines their impacts on consumer product selection, consumer product use, and environmental outcome. The book also proposes recommendations for future environmental and industrial policies.The book's empirical findings will be of interest to those who are researching on and policymakers of environmental and industrial policies.