Ichio Aoki
Second-Year PhD Student | JSPS Research Fellow (DC2)
Ichio Aoki: PhD student in economics at the University of Tokyo and JSPS Research Fellow (DC2), researching market integration and customs unions in 19th-century Germany.
I am a second-year PhD student at the Graduate School of Economics, The University of Tokyo, and a JSPS Research Fellow (DC2).
My primary research investigates the spatial evolution of markets, focusing on the historical case of German territories in the 19th century.
Research Interests: Economic History · Spatial Economics · Market Integration · Customs Unions · Trade Policy · Regional Trade Agreements · 19th Century Germany · Historical GIS · Simulation Modeling
Affiliations
- Research Fellow (DC2), Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Apr 2026 – Present
- PhD Course, Graduate School of Economics, The University of Tokyo Apr 2025 – Present
Education
- Master of Economics, Graduate School of Economics, The University of Tokyo Sep 2019 – Sep 2022
- Master of Science in Financial Economics, School of Business and Economics, Maastricht University Sep 2018 – Aug 2019
- Bachelor of Science in Economics, Faculty of Law and Economics, University of Mannheim Sep 2015 – Aug 2018
Works
Works in Progress
- Weak Bonds? Competing Regional Customs Unions and the German Market before the Zollverein Download Aug 2026
Presentations
- (Upcoming) Weak Bonds? Competing Regional Customs Unions and the German Market before the Zollverein Nov 2026
North American Regional Science Council (NARSC) 2026 Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, USA — Graduate Student Author Paper Competition - (Upcoming) Weak Bonds? Competing Regional Customs Unions and the German Market before the Zollverein Oct 2026
WINPEC Macroeconomics Seminar, Waseda University - Premature Integration? Competing Unions and Uneven Market Integration in Germany, 1828–1833 Download May 2026
Japanese Economic Association 2026 Spring Conference, Osaka Metropolitan University - Driver of Market Integration: Competing Customs Unions in 19th Century Germany Download Dec 2025
Centre for International Research on the Japanese Economy (CIRJE), The University of Tokyo
Past Theses
- Market Integration: German Unification and the Zollverein in the 19th Century Download 2022
Master’s Thesis, The University of Tokyo. Supervised by Prof. Masaki Nakabayashi - Measuring US Mutual Fund Herding in Industries Download 2019
Master’s Thesis, Maastricht University. Supervised by Dr. Matteo Bonetti - Conversation: Sustainable Information Exchange Among Competitors Download 2018
Bachelor’s Thesis, University of Mannheim. Supervised by Prof. Takakazu Honryo
Funding
- Grant-in-Aid for JSPS Fellows, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science 2026 – 2028
Project No. 26KJ0705 | 1,600,000 JPY
Teaching Experience
- Teaching Assistant, Institutional Analysis of the Japanese Economy II, Graduate School of Economics, The University of Tokyo Fall 2026
Course by Prof. Masaki Nakabayashi - Teaching Assistant, R for Empirical Research, Graduate School of Economics, The University of Tokyo Fall 2026
Course by Prof. Andrew Griffen - Teaching Assistant, Institutional Analysis of the Japanese Economy II, Graduate School of Economics, The University of Tokyo Fall 2025
Course by Prof. Masaki Nakabayashi - Teaching Assistant, Institutional Analysis of the Japanese Economy II, Graduate School of Economics, The University of Tokyo Fall 2021
Course by Prof. Masaki Nakabayashi
Professional Memberships
Skills & Languages
- Methods & Tools: Spatial Data Analysis, Simulation Modeling, R, Python, Quarto
- Languages: English (Native), German (Fluent), Japanese (Fluent)
Contact
- Email (General): mail@ichio-aoki.com
- Email (University): ichio-aoki@g.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp
- Office: Akamon General Research Building, Room 353, Hongo Campus, The University of Tokyo
Last updated: October 1, 2026