Economists reacted coolly Tuesday to Monday's Japan-U.S. summit, which saw economic issues take center stage and Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori pledge to embark on structural reforms to mend Japan's ailing economy.
"There were no surprises" in the joint statement issued after the summit in Washington between Mori and U.S. President George W. Bush, according to Mitsuhiro Nakano, an economist at Daiwa Institute of Research.
"World markets are only watching one thing: Will they (the Japanese government) really do it, and to what extent?" Nakano said, referring to Mori's pledge to carry out structural reforms.