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November 22, 2024
 

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Teruhiko Mano
BUSINESS / JAPANESE PERSPECTIVES
Apr 21, 2003
Evasive accounting will darken already cloudy economic outlook
Now that the war in Iraq has completed a crucial phase, a major source of uncertainty for the world economy appears to have been eliminated. However, the global economic outlook still remains cloudy, as illustrated by the fall in share prices that occurred when Baghdad fell into the hands of the U.S.-led...
BUSINESS / JAPANESE PERSPECTIVES
Mar 24, 2003
Will new BOJ governor be able to navigate tricky global waters?
Fukui Toshihiko was officially sworn in as new governor of the Bank of Japan on Thursday, with former Vice Finance Minister Toshiro Muto and Kazumasa Iwata, a senior Cabinet official, appointed as vice governors. Under the revised BOJ Law of 1998, all members of the BOJ Policy Board are to serve a five-year...
BUSINESS / JAPANESE PERSPECTIVES
Feb 24, 2003
Like real reforms, banking crisis this spring unlikely to materialize
Each spring in recent years, people have started talking about a financial crisis in Japan as the month of March draws near. In about five weeks, most Japanese firms will be closing their books for fiscal 2002, and I would like to discuss this year's situation from several perspectives.
BUSINESS
Jan 27, 2003
Trend of rising interest rates no cause for optimism in U.S.
Long-term interest rates are on an upward trend in the United States. The yield on 10-year U.S. government bonds, which stood around 3.8 percent in December, has climbed to around 4 percent. But has the U.S. economy been strong enough to trigger a rise in interest rates?
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 28, 2002
Critically ill Japan can't depend on assistance from G7 doctors
Japan's economic woes and North Korean issues, including the abductions of Japanese nationals and Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program, will be the two main topics in the extraordinary Diet session that opened on Oct. 18.
BUSINESS / JAPANESE PERSPECTIVES
Sep 23, 2002
The future of the U.S. economy: tasks for top nations and the IMF
One year has passed since the terrorist attacks that hit New York and the Pentagon. Although the war in Afghanistan ended rather quickly, the danger of terrorism lingers on, and the Bush Administration's policy of not ruling out pre-emptive attacks has fueled new tensions. The recent slump in stock markets...
BUSINESS / JAPANESE PERSPECTIVES
Aug 5, 2002
Failure to cap deposit insurance means banking system will fester
Starting in April 2003, the government will no longer protect deposits when banks fail and instead introduce a "payoff" scheme offering partial protection of up to 10 million yen per depositor per bank.
BUSINESS / JAPANESE PERSPECTIVES
Jul 1, 2002
Dollar weighed down by external debts, tax cuts, skittish investors
The dollar is losing ground against major currencies and the foreign-exchange rates are reflecting the relative strengths of the economies involved.
BUSINESS / JAPANESE PERSPECTIVES
Jun 3, 2002
Balance of payments and intervention signal danger for economic reforms
Japan's international balance of payments for fiscal 2001, released by the Finance Ministry on May 15, highlighted a year-on-year fall in the trade and current account surpluses. But it also revealed a 24.4 percent increase in the nation's income surplus to a record-high 8.68 trillion yen.
BUSINESS / JAPANESE PERSPECTIVES
Apr 29, 2002
G7 needs developing nations' help as trend of globalization continues
The Group of Seven conference held April 19 to 20 in Washington highlighted negative as well as positive aspects of the world economy.
BUSINESS / JAPANESE PERSPECTIVES
Mar 25, 2002
Sinking investment signals need to embrace deflation
Two sets of key government statistics on economic conditions released earlier this month -- the October-December data on corporate activities issued March 6 and the quarterly 2001 annual gross domestic product released March 8 -- both highlighted the lackluster state of capital investment by Japanese...
BUSINESS / JAPANESE PERSPECTIVES
Feb 18, 2002
Hopeful bond sellers should strike while the iron is hot
Long-term interest rates are on an upward trend both in Japan and the United States. The yield on the 10-year Japanese government bond has recently been in the 1.5 percent range, while market rates on 10-year U.S. government bonds have been hovering at around 5 percent — the same as at the beginning...
BUSINESS
Jan 21, 2002
Understanding new forex risks key to coping with expanding volatility
The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States reminded the world that a new type of risk can hit the global economy in the new century. Risk factors multiplied beyond economic fundamentals, adding greater volatility to markets.
BUSINESS
Dec 31, 2001
Hunting down terrorist funding requires new teamwork
The bombing in Afghanistan continued throughout the Islamic holy month of Ramadan and the Taliban government was swept from power much more swiftly than was previously anticipated.
BUSINESS
Nov 26, 2001
'Flying geese' must face onset of global 'megacompetition'
The "flying geese" theory of development has long served as the basis of policy formulation and analysis of post-World War II economic relations between industrialized nations and developing countries. The fundamental idea is that both sides benefit from a vertical division of labor across national borders....
BUSINESS
Oct 22, 2001
Getting a positive grip on Japanese unemployment
According to preliminary figures released by the government on Sept. 28, there were 64.43 million people employed as of the end of August, a decline of 370,000 compared with the same period the previous year. As a result, unemployment continues to stand at a record high of 5 percent.
BUSINESS / JAPANESE PERSPECTIVE
Sep 17, 2001
Inflation targets no substitute for needed structural reform
The 0.8 percent contraction in the second quarter gross domestic product, coupled with dive in Tokyo share prices, has increased pressure on the Bank of Japan to further ease its already loose monetary grip by setting inflation targets. Tuesday's terrorist attacks in the United States and the ensuing...
BUSINESS
Aug 20, 2001
Obstacles to decentralization must embrace independence
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi won big gains for his Liberal Democratic Party in the Upper House election and has been re-elected uncontested to a new two-year term as LDP chief. But the tasks ahead of him are mounting, and one of the biggest is the decentralization of administrative power.
BUSINESS
Jun 4, 2001
U.S. also caught in liquidity trap
On May 15 the United States Federal Reserve Board announced that it would cut short-term interest rates by half a percentage point. It was the fifth rate cut this year and brought the total amount of monetary easing to 2.5 percentage points.
BUSINESS
Apr 30, 2001
Monetary policies may collide as globalized economy emerges
As the globalization of the world's economies goes on, it will become natural for the monetary policies of one major country to affect the policies of others. After all, money flows across national borders.
Two of America’s biggest debt holders are dumping Treasurys
The U.S. Treasury building in Washington. Investors in Japan and China sold a pile of U.S. debt in the last quarter, just before the U.S. presidential election.
Russia fired experimental ballistic missile at Ukraine, Putin says
Ukrainian firefighters work on a spot following an airstrike in Dnipro on Thursday.
Ishiba aggravates his own political failures with diplomatic faux pas
Prime Minster Shigeru Ishiba is greeted at the APEC summit in Lima by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday. The Japanese leader was criticized for remaining seated while meeting several world leaders at the event.
Japan's 3.31 million visitors in October set monthly record
Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto in December 2023. Famous autumn leaf colors contributed to increased tourism demand last month from many markets across Asia, Europe and North America, the Japan National Tourism Organization has said.
Japan ranks last in romance satisfaction for second straight year
In a survey of 31 countries, Japan ranked last in terms of those who felt loved, with just 51% of respondents saying so.
'Tokyo Swindlers': Get deep into the minds of real estate con artists
In Ko Shinjo's "Tokyo Swindlers," a group of con artists manipulates real estate giants into falsified deals within the highly competitive, quick market.
Japan, U.K. and Italy discuss inviting more countries to joint fighter project
A new concept model of a next-generation fighter jet to be jointly developed by Japan, Britain and Italy is on display in Farnborough, Hampshire, in July.
Haruki Murakami's 'The City and Its Uncertain Walls' gives deep deja vu
For “The City and Its Uncertain Walls,” translated into English by Philip Gabriel, Haruki Murakami confronts the ghosts who won't leave him alone.
Japanese expats in Asia find community through rugby
The Taiwan Fivewoods celebrate their victory at the 2023 Asian Japanese Rugby Cup in December of last year.
In Fukushima, a weekend of prose, poetry and translation
Aomori-based writer JJ Carter presented on tabletop gaming as creative inspiration for building characters and narratives.

Podcast

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