Incluye bibliografías e índice.

I. Liquidity constraints ; 1. Introduction to parts i and ii: a review of empirical studies of household saving ; 2. The permanent income hypothesis: estimation and testing by instrumental variables addendum to chapter 2: estimation using updated data ; 3. The effect of liquidity constraints on consumption: a cross-sectional analysis ; 4. The permanent income hypothesis and consumption durability: analysis based on japanese panel data addendum to chapter 4: consumption growth equation for food ; 5. Testing the life cycle -- permanent income hypothesis on japanese monthly panel data ; 6. Tests for liquidity constraints: a critical survey and some new observations -- II. Risk sharing and altruism ; 7. Is the extended family altruistically linked? direct tests using micro data ; 8. Is the japanese extended family altruistically linked? a test based on engel curves ; 9. Risk sharing between and within families -- III. Japanese saving behavior ; 10. Introduction to part iii: a review of recent literature on japanese saving ; 11. Why is Japan´s saving rate so apparently high? Addendum to chapter 11: an update of data appendix ; 12. Life cycle and bequest savings: evidence from large cross-section of Japanese households ; 13. Housing finance imperfections and private saving: a simulation analysis.