Spinning Tales about Japanese Cotton Spinning: Saxonhouse (1974) and Lessons from New Data
利用新数据集和现代方法重新审视日本明治时期棉纺业的技术采用与扩散，发现最佳技术的扩散难度和“盲目模仿”的作用可能被夸大，市场竞争和资产重新分配发挥了重要作用。
We revisit the story of technology adoption and diffusion in Japan's Meiji-era cotton spinning industry, the study of which was pioneered by Gary Saxonhouse (1974). Using a novel data set and modern methodology, we argue that both the ease with which the best technology diffused and the role of “slavish imitation” in this process may have been overstated. We find an important role played by market competition, including asset reallocation. Our analyses provide richer insights into the complex phenomena of technology diffusion, innovation, and economic growth.