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What is the ESRI?

  ESRI: Economic and Social Research Institute(Organization Chart)

The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) was established on January 6, 2001 as one of institutions belonged the Cabinet Office of Japanese government. ESRI inherited most of study property from the former Economic Research Institute of the Economic Planning Agency.
The scope of its research covers economic policy issues as well as social policy issues.

The Institute will improve Japanese policy study environment under four concepts, namely I) improving policy analysis tools and economic information system, II) developing scientific policy analysis, III) sending and exchanging knowledge for advancing policy studies, and IV) communicating knowledge to nurse new ideas.


[1] The collaboration projects addressing the two global issues in 21st century

ESRI will study many issues relating with Japanese policy making. ESRI's one of most important study projects so far, is international study collaboration project launched in April, 2000 by Economic Research Institute of EPA.
The themes of the project are 'the desirable and feasible structure of the society and economy in an aging population' and 'the structure of an environment-friendly society and economy'. The objective of the project is to aim at constructing the new economic and social system that is sustainable in the 21st century. ESRI consider the above two issues as two of most important factors for designing the future course of the economy in the world.


[2] The Survey of Business Activity and estimation of the System of National Accounts (SNA)

At the same time, the institute surveys business activity and provides the SNA data.

To help obtain a grasp of trends in business conditions, the institute surveys trends in business and consumer activities. With regard to business behavior, the institute conducts the "Business and Investment Survey of Incorporated Enterprises"(quarterly), the "Machinery Orders"(actual outcomes are shown monthly and prospects quarterly) and the "Questionnaire Survey on Business Behavior"(annual). To grasp consumer sentiment, the institute also conducts the "Consumer Confidence Survey"(quarterly).To facilitate judgement of business conditions and on turning points of a business cycle, the institute compiles the "Index of Business Conditions"(Diffusion Index)(monthly) which summarize economic trends.Additionally the institute determines the peak and the trough of a business cycle for the purpose of comparing the economic activities in each business cycle(Statistics).

The SNA statistics are integrated with national income accounts, input-output table, flow of fund statistics, national balance sheets and balance of payments statistics under the guideline of the United Nations. The SNA statistics are used for economic analysis and economic policy management. The results of estimation of SNA data are reported to the Cabinet and published every year. Moreover the estimates of the gross domestic expenditure are released to the public every quarter.(SNA).