Elite Formation and Family Structure in Prewar Japan: Evidence from the Personnel Inquiry Records (opens in new tab)

This paper introduces a newly constructed individual-level dataset of prewar Japanese elites using the ``Who's Who'' directories published in 1903--1939. Covering approximately the top 0.1\% of the population, the dataset contains rich information on social group, education, occupation, and family structure. By reconstructing intergenerational links and family networks, we provide descriptive evidence on elite formation and persistence acros...