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Revisiting the determinants of individual sustainable investment—The case of Japan

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  • Gutsche, Gunnar
  • Nakai, Miwa
  • Arimura, Toshi H.

Abstract

This study empirically examines individual sustainable investment behavior of households’ decision-makers in Japan from three perspectives. Based on data from a representative online survey among financial decision makers in Japanese households, we analyze (i) the individual awareness of sustainable investments, (ii) the current share of sustainable investments in individual investors’ portfolios, and (iii) the individual investors’ intention to invest sustainably in the future. We find evidence for huge information deficits among Japanese individual investors indicating that individual sustainable investment in Japan is still in its infancy. Financial literacy, social signaling or word-of-mouth learning, perceived financial performance, and risk preferences are the most important determinants of current individual sustainable investments. Remarkably, non-financial factors such as personal attitudes and values seem to be less important than in Western countries. Nevertheless, the intention to invest sustainably in the future is also driven by individual environmental values and ecological political identification.

Suggested Citation

  • Gutsche, Gunnar & Nakai, Miwa & Arimura, Toshi H., 2021. "Revisiting the determinants of individual sustainable investment—The case of Japan," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 30(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:beexfi:v:30:y:2021:i:c:s2214635021000411
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbef.2021.100497
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    1. Marszk, Adam & Lechman, Ewa, 2024. "What drives sustainable investing? Adoption determinants of sustainable investing exchange-traded funds in Europe," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 63-82.
    2. Filippini, Massimo & Leippold, Markus & Wekhof, Tobias, 2024. "Sustainable finance literacy and the determinants of sustainable investing," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).
    3. Hiroyuki Aman & Taizo Motonishi & Chisako Yamane, 2024. "Do financial ethics matter in risky asset investment of households? Evidence from Japan," International Journal of Economic Policy Studies, Springer, vol. 18(2), pages 387-414, August.
    4. Löfgren, Åsa & Nordblom, Katarina, 2024. "Reconciling sustainability preferences and behavior — The case of mutual fund investments," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 41(C).
    5. Harasheh, Murad & Bouteska, Ahmed & Manita, Riadh, 2024. "Investors' preferences for sustainable investments: Evidence from the U.S. using an experimental approach," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 234(C).
    6. Meunier, L. & Ohadi, S., 2023. "Exclusion strategy in socially responsible investment: One size does not fit all," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 39(C).
    7. Seifert, Marcel & Spitzer, Florian & Haeckl, Simone & Gaudeul, Alexia & Kirchler, Erich & Palan, Stefan & Gangl, Katharina, 2024. "Can information provision and preference elicitation promote ESG investments? Evidence from a large, incentivized online experiment," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    8. David Aristei & Manuela Gallo, 2021. "Financial Knowledge, Confidence, and Sustainable Financial Behavior," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-21, September.
    9. Chen, Haiyang & Dai, Ya & Guo, David, 2023. "Financial literacy as a determinant of market participation: New evidence from China using IV-GMM," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 611-623.
    10. Alt, Marius & Berger, Marius & Bersch, Johannes, 2023. "Investor responses to information updates on peer behavior and public investment policy: The case of green investments," ZEW Discussion Papers 23-024, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Sustainable investments; Individual investors; Japan; Behavioral finance;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth
    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • C25 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Discrete Regression and Qualitative Choice Models; Discrete Regressors; Proportions; Probabilities

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