Masahisa Fujita 101: Who is the Famous Japanese Economist? in our article of Zatrun.com, we will cover in detail everything you need to know about Masahisa Fujita, a famous Japanese economist and professor at Kyoto University.

Who is Masahisa Fujita?

Masahisa Fujita is a Japanese economist who is a professor at Kyoto University. He has worked on topics such as regional science, urban economics, international trade, and spatial economics (New Economic Geography). Born on July 21, 1943, Fujita is a professor at Konan University and a consulting professor at the Kyoto Institute of Economic Research (KIER).

Fujita completed his undergraduate education in city planning at Kyoto University. Masahisa Fujita he studied regional science under Walter Isard at the University of Pennsylvania and received his Ph.D. in regional science from the same institution in 1972. He taught at the University of Pennsylvania for nearly 20 years and has been a member of the KIER faculty at Kyoto University since 1995. He served as director of the institute in 1999.

From 2003 to 2007, Fujita served as the president of the Institute of Developing Economies and proposed the basic concept of the ASEAN and East Asia Economic Research Institute to JETRO and METI. Masahisa Fujita he is currently the president and chief research officer of the Economic, Trade and Industry Research Institute. Fujita is known as one of the pioneers of New Economic Geography and has also conducted research in spatial economics, like Paul Krugman. He is the recipient of several awards, including the 1983 Tord Palander Award, the 1998 Walter Isard Regional Science Award, and the inaugural Alonso Award with Paul Krugman.

Academic Life

Fujita completed his undergraduate degree in landscape planning at Kyoto University. He studied regional science under Walter Isard at the University of Pennsylvania and received his PhD in Regional Science in 1972. He worked as a faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania for approximately 20 years before becoming a faculty member at KIER, Kyoto University in 1995, where he served as Director in 1999.

From 2003 to 2007, he served as President of the Institute of Developing Economies and proposed the basic concept of the ASEAN and East Asia Economic Research Institute to JETRO and METI. In 2007, he became President and Chief Research Officer of the Economic Research Institute of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Fujita is recognized as one of the pioneers of New Economic Geography and, together with Paul Krugman, received the 1998 Walter Isard Award in Regional Science, the 1983 Tord Palander Award, and the first Alonso Award.

Masahisa Fujita and His Books

• Fujita, Masahisa (1978). Spatial development planning: a dynamic convex programming approach. Studies in regional science and urban economics.
• Fujita, Masahisa (1989). Urban Economic Theory: Land Use and City Size.
• Fujita, Masahisa; Krugman, Paul; Venables, Anthony J. (1999). The Spatial Economy: Cities, Regions, and International Trade.
• Fujita, Masahisa; Thisse, Jacques-François (2002). Masahisa Fujita Economics of Agglomeration: Cities, Industrial Location, and Regional Growth (1nd edition)
• Fujita, Masahisa; Thisse, Jacques-François (2013). Masahisa Fujita Economics of Agglomeration: Cities, Industrial Location, and Regional Growth. Revised edition: (2nd edition)