Estimating a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model for Japan

We estimate a medium-scale dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model of the Japanese economy following Christiano et al. [Christiano, L., Eichenbaum, M., Evans, C., 2005. Nominal rigidities and the dynamic effects of a shock to monetary policy. J. Polit. Economy 113 (1), 1–45]. By using actual capital utilization data and modifying the formulation of utilization following Greenwood et al. [Greenwood, J., Hercowitz, Z., Huffmann, G.W., 1988. Investment, capacity utilization, and the real business cycle. Amer. Econ. Rev. 78 (3), 402–417], this paper succeeds in incorporating a negative correlation between capital utilization and rental costs to explain actual capital utilization rates. We find that an investment adjustment cost shock is as important as a productivity shock that affects business cycles. We also find hump-shaped and persistent behavior of inflation rates in response to a monetary policy shock, which Christiano et al. cast doubt upon. J. Japanese Int. Economies 22 (4) (2008) 476–502. Monetary Affairs Department, Bank of Japan, Japan. © 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.