This timely volume brings together professors of finance and accounting from Japanese universities to examine the Japanese stock market in terms of its pricing and accounting systems. The papers report the results of empirical research into the Japanese stock market within the framework of new theories of finance. Academics, professionals, and anyone seeking to understand or enter the Japanese market will applaud the publication of this practical, informative volume.

Having gathered data from the late 1970's through 1984, the authors analyze the market's behavior and the applicability of two major theoretical pricing models -- the Capital Asset Pricing Models and the Efficient Market Hypothesis -- to that market. Chapter 1 provides background statistical evidence on the behavior of monthly returns on Tokyo Stock Exchange common stocks. Chapter 2 discusses an empirical test of the capital asset pricing model. Chapter 3 examines evidence on the price performance of unseasoned new issues. The authors also examine the Japanese accounting disclosure system: Chapter 4 deals empirically with the information content of the annual accounting announcements and related market efficiency. The next chapter presents empirical evidence on the relationship between unsystematic returns and earnings forecast errors. Next, empirical research into the usefulness to investors of the disclosure system is examined. Finally, Chapter 7 presents several interesting questions and topics for future research on the Japanese stock market.

Japan has been, and will likely remain, the second largest economy in the world. In the four decades following the Second World War, it dazzled the world, its enviable social indicators, unprecedented fast and sustained with economic growth, process innovations, high productivity and high quality of manufactured product. In the nineties, the growth slowed down to a crawl, and a recession and deflation now threaten it. Could we foretell these historic ups and downs on the basis of financial reports of Japan's great corporations? The 14 chapters of the book take a sweeping view of accounting, covering methods, data, theories, and comparisons. Institutionalism has been a major force in accounting thinking in the United States as well as Japan. The influence of Marxian theory on Japanese accounting and social science thinking remains vastly underappreciated in the United States. A direct comparison of Japanese and U.S. factor markets, and Korean and German accounting practices also reveals important differences.

It is crucial for anyone interested in international investments, trade, and economics to understand Japanese financial reporting practices and how they differ from the United States practices . While a few comparative works on Japan and U.S. financial reporting are available, they rarely give the reader an in-depth understanding of the similarities and differences between the United States and Japan. In this volume, a Japanese and U.S. editor have collaborated to bring an understanding of Japanese accounting practices, perspectives, and their implications to the English speaking audience.