An Event History Analysis of Consolidation of Municipalities in Japan

Recent Japanese administrative reform provides more incentives and pressures for decentralization and local administrative reform. Many municipalities are preparing their consolidation for their self-support, but various actual incentives work on their choices except administrative efficiency or rationality. This article discusses actual incentives for consolidation of municipalities through a quantitative analysis of 323 municipalities of Kinki region in Japan. Residents' regional tie and validity of paradigm which local governments, prefectures, provide are discussed