Tag - economy

 
 

ECONOMY

Containers in a shipping terminal at the Honmoku pier in Yokohama in June
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 17, 2023
Japan logs first export decline in over two years
The value of exports fell in July from a year earlier, retreating for the first time since February 2021.
Kimono-clad visitors take selfie photographs at Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto on Friday.
JAPAN
Aug 16, 2023
In July, Japan welcomed most overseas visitors since pandemic hit
The weak yen is helping to boost tourism and contribute to a surge in growth for the world's third-largest economy.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen speaks at an event in Las Vegas on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 16, 2023
Yellen's Las Vegas stop shows Bidenomics can be a tough sell
Even as Americans feel the benefits, it's not clear this approach will deliver Biden the votes he needs in 2024.
A trader on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange on July 26
BUSINESS / Markets
Aug 15, 2023
U.S. loss of AAA badge shows shift in views on government debt
Fitch Ratings flagged not only U.S. governance but also higher rates driving up debt service costs, an aging population and rising health care spending.
The Japan National Tourism Organization's booth at the Beijing International Tourism Expo in Beijing in June
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 15, 2023
Return of Chinese group tours to Japan to bring economic boost
The average amount of spending by individual Chinese tourists is the second largest at ¥338,238, just behind ¥358,888 by travelers from the U.K.
Japan’s economy has expanded at a much faster pace than forecast, despite weak domestic consumption.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 15, 2023
Japan’s GDP grows at 6% on strong exports as consumption falters
Capital spending by businesses was flat, versus forecasts of a 0.4% increase, while private consumption unexpectedly declined by 0.5%.
Blackstone is working on more acquisitions in Japan with several bids out and properties like hotels and data centers in the pipeline.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 14, 2023
Blackstone eyes more Japan property after selling $4.5 billion
Real estate investments in Japan have been rosy compared to other countries, where rising costs have squeezed finances and workers have shunned offices.
In a recent Kyodo News survey of 114 companies, including Toyota Motor and the Uniqlo clothing chain operator Fast Retailing, 82% said they project economic expansion, up from 55% the previous summer.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 13, 2023
Over 80% of Japan firms forecast economic growth as COVID-19 curbs removed
The survey results show optimism over Japan's economy even as firms grapple with rising material costs, with 94% of those forecasting an expansion.
As long as coal plants are still operating, it is a good idea to make them capture their carbon dioxide emissions. But the sooner that coal is replaced by renewables, the better it will be for the planet.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 11, 2023
Carbon capture and the changing economics of power generation
Carbon capture policies could unwittingly extend the life of dirtier energy sources.
Technical trainees from Vietnam work at a knitwear factory in the city of Mitsuke, Niigata Prefecture, in February 2019.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 6, 2023
Japan is bringing in more foreign nationals than you think
Japan isn’t an outlier when it comes to low fertility rates, merely a front-runner.
People board a shinkansen at Tokyo Station on Friday
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 11, 2023
Holidaymakers to boost spending as Japan growth at tipping point
It is a mixed bag for Japan as everyday goods have become much pricier, but pent-up demand has aided private consumption.
The Bank of Japan's attempts to dismantle ultraloose monetary policies have led to unexpected market reactions and left some investors struggling to understand the central bank's intentions.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 10, 2023
The BOJ gets a new doctrine. It’s just keeping it to itself.
The BOJ is likely sincere when it says the 2% price goal is still some way off, even if one member seemingly believes it’s on the horizon.
People buy food at stalls promoting China's digital yuan, or e-CNY, during the 2022 China International Fair for Trade in Services in Beijing in September 2022.
BUSINESS / Markets
Aug 10, 2023
With blockchain 'bridge', China challenges U.S. dollar dominance
A Beijing-backed digital prototype for sending money around the world without relying on U.S. banks is advancing quickly.
Japan's wholesale inflation slowed in July year-on-year due to softer energy costs.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 10, 2023
Japan's wholesale inflation slowed in July for seventh month
The slowing pace of increases, due to softer energy utility costs, suggest pressures that drove up consumer prices are running their course.
Now in their fourth year, Hong Kong's security crackdowns have led to the exodus of hundreds of thousands of people, resulting in grave manpower shortages and a stain on the city's image as place to do business.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 9, 2023
Hong Kong needs to protect its image as a financial center
In Lee’s view, while reviving Hong Kong’s role as a global financial center, it is vital to continue the crackdown on perceived threats.
Some strategists think that foreign investors, who had helped drive one of the world’s biggest rallies so far this year, may pose risks for Japan’s stock market in the second half.
BUSINESS / Markets
Aug 9, 2023
Global funds that drove Topix rally may now threaten Japan gains
A lack of bold policy measures by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and China's economic slowdown are also seen as curbing the bullish trend.
A shopper at a Beijing grocery store in 2022. China's consumer and producer prices have both declined from 12 months ago, indicating that the world’s second-largest economy may be weakening.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 9, 2023
China shows signs of deflation as consumer and factory prices fall
A prolonged property market slump, plunging demand for exports and subdued consumer spending are weighing on China's economic recovery.
Containers stored at the Yangshan Deep-Water Port in Shanghai in 2020
BUSINESS
Aug 9, 2023
Not decoupling, but West and China drift apart
Official data showed a 14.5% drop in July exports amid weak consumer demand in the world markets served by China — the fastest decline since the pandemic.
A recent report showed that the number of career bureaucrats leaving government to join startups had quadrupled over the two years through fiscal 2022.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 8, 2023
Japan’s young civil servants are growing disillusioned
Big companies remain the most popular career option, attracting 34% of those who change jobs.
Japan's current account surplus in June roughly tripled from a year earlier after the resource-scarce nation recorded its first trade surplus in nearly two years.
BUSINESS
Aug 8, 2023
Half-year current account surplus up 11% as trade deficit shrinks
Surging import costs for energy, raw materials and other goods have left Japan deep in the red, despite a recovery in exports.

Longform

Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'