2025 Volume 21 Issue 4 Pages 1-21
Japan is currently undergoing a major reorganization and integration of establishment and enterprise statistics. Prior to 2012, these statistics were compiled through individual surveys conducted by different ministries and agencies, each focusing on the industries under their respective jurisdictions. This approach resulted in overlapping areas, gaps in coverage, and inconsistent survey cycles―issues that were particularly pronounced in the service sector. As Japan's economy shifted increasingly toward services, the demand for more comprehensive and accurate economic data grew stronger.
Around 2000, a national initiative was launched to develop a more systematic framework for compiling establishment and enterprise statistics. At the same time, the Japanese government decided to transition from Input-Output tables to Supply and Use tables, which necessitated the collection of new kinds of data. Despite numerous challenges, the Economic Census for Business Activity was introduced in 2012, followed by the Annual Business Survey in 2019. In 2025, the Monthly Business Survey of Services was launched.
Through these developments, Japan finally succeeded in establishing a coherent framework for quinquennial, annual, and monthly establishment and enterprise statistics. While it is widely acknowledged that such a large-scale reform is no easy feat, the details of how this transformation was actually achieved remain relatively unknown. This paper aims to shed light on the processes behind the reorganization and integration of Japan's establishment and enterprise statistics.
