Research Faculty

TAKAHASHI Akio

TAKAHASHI Akio

Professor
-2022,
Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia
takahashi[at]
Research theme: Village Economy in Southeast Asia

Village Economy in Southeast Asia

Research Topics


TAKAHASHI Akio is Professor of Southeast Asian Economy. The main subject of his research is the agricultural and rural economy of Myanmar (Burma). He teaches Southeast Asian Economy at the Graduate School of Economics, University of Tokyo. He received his B.A. (1981) and his Doctor of Economics degree (1993) from the Faculty of Economics, University of Kyoto. Before being appointed to his current position in 1996, he was a researcher at the Institute of Developing Economies from 1981 to 1996. While working for IDE, he was sent to Myanmar twice: first he stayed there as a student in the department of the Burmese language of the Institute of Foreign Languages, Yangon from 1986 to 1988, and then as a senior researcher of the Department of Agricultural Planning, Ministry of Agriculture from 1993 to 1995.He has made numerous village studies in rural Myanmar by means of direct interviews with the villagers since the last stage of the Burmese Socialism era. His main interest has been the relationship between regimes and village economy, including non-farm activities as well as agriculture. He has also studied the change of agricultural policy and the economic history of Myanmar after independence. Recently he has extended his research perspectives to the socio-economy of peripheral areas where various minorities reside, and to the history of peasant’s livelihoods in Myanmar. Besides his academic studies, he has stayed in Myanmar for several months a year as a JICA (Japan International Corporation Agency) expert and advised both the governments of Myanmar and Japan.

Professor Takahashi’s major publications on Myanmar’s economic history and socio-economic transformation in rural areas include “Burma: Stagnant Development under Military Rule”, in Lectures on the Southeast Asian History Vol.IX, ed. Akira Suehiro (Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, 2002), 701-726, “Myanmar’s State-Owned Sugar Industry and Sugarcane Farmers”, in Toyo Bunka, no.82 (2002), 137-163, Myanmar’s Village Economy in Transition: Peasants’ Livelihoods under the Market-Oriented Economy (Tokyo: University of Tokyo Press, 2000, v + 339 pp.), “Agricultural Land Policy and the ‘Tenure’ of Peasants in Burma during the ‘U Nu’ and ‘Ne Win’ era,” in Actors and Organizations of Rural Development in Southeast Asia: In Comparison with the Japanese Case, ed. Hiroyoshi Kano (Tokyo: Institute of Developing Economies, 1998), 29-60, and A Rice Village in the Burma Delta: Village Economy under ‘Socialism’ (Tokyo: Institute of Developing Economies, 1992, x + 249 pp.).

Research activities

Books
  • Takahashi, Akio. Gendai Myammar no noson keizai: iko keizai-ka no nomin to hi-nomin:Myanmar’s Village Economy in Transition: Peasants’ Livelihoods under the Market-Oriented Economy. Tokyo: University of Tokyo Press, 2000. (in Japanese)
  • Takahashi, Akio. Biruma Deruta no beisaku-son: “shakai shugi” taisei-ka no noson keizai:A Rice Village in Burma Delta: Village Economy under the Rule of ‘Socialism’. Vol. 423 of The Kenkyu sosho. Tokyo: Institute of Developing Economies, 1992. (in Japanese)
Thesis
  • Takahashi, Akio. “Biruma Deruta no beisaku-son: “shakai shugi” taisei-ka no noson keizai:A Rice Village in Burma Delta: Village Economy under the Rule of ‘Socialism’.” Doctor of Economics, Kyoto University, 1994. (in Japanese)
Articles and Book Chapters
  • Takahashi, Akio. “A Review of the Rice Export Statistics of Burma(Myanmar): Time Series Variation in Volume of “Inland”, Border and Foreign Trade.”Toyo Bunka, 東京: 平凡社 2008: 369. (in Japanese)
  • Takahashi, Akio. “Myamma Chin kyuryo ni okeru jizoku-teki keizai seikatsu no taiyo:Sustainable socio-economic lives and livihoods in the Chin Hills, Myanmar.” Myamma shosu minzoku chiiki ni okeru seitai riyo to setai senryaku: koiki hikaku ni mukete (kiban kenkyu B 2 16402003):Ecological resource Use and household strategies in minority areas of Myanmar: Toward wider regional comparison. Edited by Yoko Hayami, 2007. (in Japanese)
  • Takahashi, Akio. “Swiddens, Rice Terraces, and Malay Connections: Resource Use and Socio-economic Strata in the Chin Hills, Myanmar.”Southeast Asian Studies 45, no. 3 2007: 404-427. (in Japanese)
  • Takahashi, Akio. “Regional Differences in Agriculture in Burma during the Japanese Occupation Period.” Reconsidering the Japanese Military Occupation in Burma (1942-45). Edited by Kei Nemoto. Vol. 7, ILCAA Southeast Asian Studies. Fuchu: Research Institute for Language and Cultures of Asia and Africa (ILCAA), Tokyo University Foreign Studies, 2007: 157-178.
  • Takahashi, Akio. “Myamma no tanada to sanson keizai:Rice Terraces and Economy of Mountain Village in Myanmar.”Tanada gakkai-shi: Nihon no gen-fukei, tanada: Rice Terrace Research Association, no. 7 2006: 10-23. (in Japanese)
  • Takahashi, Akio. “Biruma (Myamma) no sanson keizai to shigen riyo:Mountain Village Economy and Resource Utilization in Myanmar(Burma).”Kikan kokyo keizai:Journal on Public Affairs, Chiba: Graduate School of Social Science and Humanities, Chiba University 2, no. 1 2005: 23-32. (in Japanese)
  • Takahashi, Akio. “Tohoku-Myamma (Biruma) sankan-chi ni okeru tanada no keizai-teki sonritsu kozo to shigen kanri:Economic Sustainability of Rice Terraces and Forest Resouce Management in the Mountainous Area of Northeast Myanmar (Burma).”Toyo-bunka Kenkyu-sho kiyo:The Momoirs of the Institute of Oriental Culture, Tokyo: Nikko Shoin 146 2004: 309-352. (in Japanese)
  • Takahashi, Akio. “Myammar no kokuei seito-gyo to kosaku nomin:Myanmar’s State-Owned Sugar Industry and Sugarcane Farmers.”Toyo Bunka:Oriental culture, Tokyo: Institute of Oriental Culture, University of Tokyo 82 2002: 137-163. (in Japanese)
  • Takahashi, Akio. “Biruma: gun ni yoru ‘kaihatsu’ no teitai:Burma: Stagnant Development under Military Rule.” Kaihatsu’ no jidai to ‘mosaku’ no jidai. Edited by Akira Suehiro. Vol. 9, Koza Tonan-Ajia-shi:Lectures on the Southeast Asian History. Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, 2002: 701-726. (in Japanese)
  • Takahashi, Akio. “The Cotton Production Policy and Cotton Farmers in Myanmar.” Agrarian Transformation and Areal Differentiation in Globalizing Southeast Asia.. Edited by Hiromitsu Umehara. Tokyo: Rikkyo University Center for Asian Area Studies, 2002: 88-106.
  • Takahashi, Akio. “Myamma: konnnan na shijo keizai-ka e no iko:Myanmar: A Difficult Transition from Socialist to Market Economy.” Ajia keizai-ron:Theory on Asian Economy. Edited by Yonosuke Hara. Tokyo: NTT Publishers, 1999: 295-323. (in Japanese)
  • Takahashi, Akio. “Biruma ni okeru nochi hosei no tenkai to nomin no ‘shoyu-ken’: Nochi kokuyu-ka-ho to Ne Win no ‘nochi seido kakumei’ o chushin ni:Agricultural Land Policy and the ‘Tenure’ of Peasants in Burma during the ‘U Nu’ and ‘Ne Win’ era.” Tonan-Ajia no nogyo hatten no shutai to soshiki: kindai Nihon to no hikaku kara:Actors and Organizations of Rural Development in Southeast Asia: In Comparison with the Japanese Case. Edited by Hiroyoshi Kano. Tokyo: Institute of Developing Economies, 1998: 29-60. (in Japanese)
  • Takahashi, Akio. “Myamma ni okeru noson-kan setai ido to shokugyo kaiso:Rural Migration and Hosehold Occupations in Myanmar.”Ajia keizai:Monthly journal of the Institute of Developing Economics, Tokyo: Institute of Developing Economies 38, no. 11 1997: 2-24. (in Japanese)
  • Takahashi, Akio. “Shijo keizai-ka to Myamma no beikoku zosan seisaku:Market Economy and Rice Production Policy in Myanmar.” Tojo-koku no keizai hatten to shakai hendo: Kojima Reiitsu kyoju kanreki kinen:Economic Development and Social Change in Developing Coutries. Edited by Kyoichi Ishihara, Tomoyuki Uchida, Takashi Shinoda, and Toshio Tajima. Tokyo: Ryokuin Shobo, 1997: 419-438. (in Japanese)
  • Takahashi, Akio. “Kami-Biruma noson no nogai shugyo to kaiso kozo: shakai shugi makki no ichi-kangai-son o jirei to shite:Off-farm Employment and Socio-Economic Strata in a Village in Upper Burma: A Case Study of an Irrigated Village in the Last Stage of the Burma’s Socialism.” Toanan-Ajia noson no shugyo kozo:Rural Employment In Southeast Asia. Edited by Kosuke Mizuno. Tokyo: Institute of Developing Economies, 1995: 51-78. (in Japanese)
  • Takahashi, Akio. “Biruma-jin no sogi to haka:Burmese Funeral and Grave.” Ajia humbo-ko:Prospects of Asian Graves. Edited by Reiitsu Kojima. Tokyo: Keiso Shobo, 1994: 140-149. (in Japanese)
  • Takahashi, Akio. “Kami-Biruma, Chause chiho no kasen kangai to nogyo:Canal Irrigation and Agriculture in Kyause District in Upper Burma.”Ajia Keizai:Monthly journal of the Institute of Developing Economics, Tokyo: Institute of Developing Economies 34, no. 12 1993: 33-64. (in Japanese)
  • Takahashi, Akio. “Kami-Biruma kangai-son ni okeru nochi hoyu to nosam-butsu no shohin-ka: Shimo-Biruma tono hikaku:Land Tenure and Commecialization Agricultural Products in an Irrigated Rice Village in Upper Burma.” Tonan-Ajia no tochi seido to nogyo henka:Land Tenure and Agricultural Change in Southeast Asia. Edited by Hiromitsu Umehara. Tokyo: Institute of Developing Economies, 1991. (in Japanese)
  • Takahashi, Akio. “Shimo-Biruma beisaku-son ni okeru nochi seisaku no tenkai, 1957 – 1987 nen:A Case Study of the Land Policy in a Rice Cultivating Vilalge in Lower Burma, 1957-1987.”Ajia Keizai:Monthly journal of the Institute of Developing Economics, Tokyo: Institute of Developing Economies 31, no. 2 1990. (in Japanese)
  • Takahashi, Akio. “Biruma-shiki shakai shugi-ka no nochi hoyu: Shimo-Biruma ichi-beisaku-son no jirei:Land Holdings under the Burmese Way of Socialism: A Case Study of a Rice Cultivating Village in Lower Burma.”Ajia Keizai:Monthly journal of the Institute of Developing Economics, Tokyo: Institute of Developing Economies 31, no. 3 1990. (in Japanese)
  • Takahashi, Akio. “Shokumin-chi tochi-ka no Shimo-Biruma ni okeru ‘kogyo-teki nogyo’ no tenkai: Fanibaru-setsu no sai-kento:Development of the ‘Industrial Agriculture’ in Lower Burma under the British Rule: A Critical Review of Furnivall.”Ajia Keizai:Monthly journal of the Institute of Developing Economics, Tokyo: Institute of Developing Economies 26, no. 11 1985. (in Japanese)
  • Takahashi, Akio. “Myammar: shijo keizai taisei iko-ka de no kome-zosan ‘keikaku’:Myanmar: A Program for Increasing Rice Production under the Transition to Market Economy.”Aji-ken nyusu:IDE News, Tokyo: Institute of Developing Economies. (in Japanese)
Conference
  • Takahashi, Akio. “Long-term Trend of Rice Production and Export of Myanmar (Burma) from 1872 to 2008.” Presented at the Burma Studies Conference 2010: Burma in the Era of Globalization held at Institut de Recherche sur le Sud-Est Asiatique (IRSEA-CNRS), Provence,France, July 6-9 2010, Université de Provence,France.
  • Takahashi, Akio. “Swiddens, Rice Terraces, and Malaysia Connections: Resource Use and Socio-economic Strata in the Chin Hills, Myanmar.” Presented at the joint workshop Dialogue on Southeast Asia held by Faculty of Arts and Science, National University of Singapore and Institute of Oriental Culture, Tokyo, September 25 2009, the University of Tokyo.

Experience

YearEducation
1957.4 Born
1981 B.A., Kyoto University, Faculty of Economics
YearAcademic experience