Tag - japanese-economy

 
 

JAPANESE ECONOMY

A screen showing the yen's exchange rate against the U.S. dollar in July
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 5, 2024
Yen is the first of many Japanese assets set to pivot on U.S. election
Given the size and liquidity of its markets, Japan will be in particular focus during the U.S. election.
Krishna Srinivasan, director of Asia and Pacific at the International Monetary Fund
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 2, 2024
IMF Asia-Pacific chief urges Japan to start debt cuts
The leading IMF official called for Japan to "have a well fleshed-out, credible medium-term fiscal framework."
Tokyo's Ginza shopping district. In its revised estimates, the Cabinet Office cut its inflation-adjusted GDP growth forecast for the current fiscal year ending in March 2025 to 0.7% from 0.9% projected in July.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 1, 2024
Japan cuts growth forecast again for current fiscal year on weak exports
In its revised estimates, the Cabinet Office cut its inflation-adjusted GDP growth forecast for the year ending in March 2025 to 0.7% from 0.9% projected in July.
People use umbrellas during a hot summer day in Ginza, Tokyo, in August.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Nov 1, 2024
Extreme heat takes big toll on work and elderly mortality in Japan: report
The annual Lancet Countdown report says the world is facing elevated threats in 10 of 15 health indicators due to climate change.
According to Teikoku Databank, the upcoming price increases can be attributed to higher material costs and will be led by processed food and snacks.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 1, 2024
Japan to see price hikes for 282 food products this month
The upcoming price increases can be attributed to higher material costs and will be led by processed food and snacks.
Krishna Srinivasan, director of the International Monetary Fund's Asia Pacific Department
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 1, 2024
Japan must avoid issuing debt to fund fresh spending, IMF says
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has pledged to compile another large-scale spending package to cushion the blow to households from the rising cost of living.
Gov. Kazuo Ueda has made it clear over the past few months that any monetary policy moves are dependent on inflation and growth data being aligned with forecasts.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 31, 2024
Bank of Japan keeps policy rate steady at 0.25%, as expected
The central bank held its ground this week even as it faced considerable political and economic pressure and significant uncertainty on the horizon.
Democratic Party for the People Secretary-General Kazuya Shimba (left) and Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Hiroshi Moriyama meet in the Diet building in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 31, 2024
LDP and DPP inch closer together on economic policy cooperation
If their arrangement is successful, it would mean a majority of parliamentary votes for issues especially important to the DPP.
Japan's industrial production gained 1.4% from August, led by cars and chemical product manufacturers.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 31, 2024
Japan's September factory output beat estimates but was down year on year
While the figures were stronger than forecast, production was weak, and uncertainty over domestic and overseas demand clouds the outlook.
The number of female directors among firms in the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s prime market will need to more than double in the next six years to meet the government target of having women make up 30% of board members at major firms by 2030.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 31, 2024
Rush for female directors stumbles on weak pipeline in Japan
With almost no women rising to become internal directors, companies will have no choice but to recruit them from outside.
The price of gold offered by Tanaka Kikinzoku Kogyo rose ¥173 from Tuesday to ¥15,104 per gram, including tax.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 30, 2024
Gold prices in Japan top ¥15,000 per gram for the first time
Concerns about political uncertainty following next week's U.S. presidential election is another reason for people to buy gold.
After a two-day meeting of the Bank of Japan policy board ends on Thursday, Gov. Kazuo Ueda is likely to stick to the script and repeat almost verbatim his previous remarks.
BUSINESS / Markets
Oct 30, 2024
Bank of Japan set to stay course with Ueda seen sticking to script
Deviations from expectations in the statement could have an impact on markets, analysts say.
The monthly report identified higher interest rates in the U.S. and Europe, and stagnation in Chinese real estate market as downside risks for the Japanese economy.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 29, 2024
Japan continues to see moderate recovery but cuts factory output view
The government reiterated the need to pay close attention to potential global economic risks and financial market volatility.
Akira Amari, a former economy minister, championed funneling large sums of public money into building up the country’s semiconductor capacity.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 29, 2024
Japan’s chip push loses key advocate after election defeat
Akira Amari had championed funneling large sums of public money into building up the country’s semiconductor capacity.
Japan's jobless rate decreased to 2.4% in September, falling to its lowest level since January.
BUSINESS
Oct 29, 2024
Job market tightened in September, supporting wage gains and BOJ policy goals
Higher demand for workers is expected to pressure companies to raise salaries to retain them, potentially feeding into a virtuous cycle between prices and wages.
In the run-up to the Nov. 5 U.S. presidential election, the yen is again the top performer during periods of extreme market stress, analysts say.
BUSINESS / Markets
Oct 29, 2024
Embattled yen still popular haven amid U.S. election uncertainty
Japan’s record ¥3.02 trillion current-account surplus, deep yen liquidity and relatively low inflation help make the yen attractive as a store of value.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks at a news conference at the Liberal Democratic Party's headquarters in Tokyo Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 29, 2024
Election result casts shadow on Japan's economic measures
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is hoping to secure cooperation from opposition parties to sustain his administration.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda responds to questions during a governors talk on Japanese inflation and monetary policy at the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group meeting in Washington on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Economy / ANALYSIS
Oct 28, 2024
BOJ on quest for better communication as more rate hikes loom
Communicating in a unified voice could prove challenging if each policymaker interprets data differently.
The yen has resumed its declines recently against the dollar on expectations that the U.S.-Japan interest rate divergence will remain wide, posing a headache for authorities who fret of the hit to households from rising import costs from a weak yen.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 26, 2024
IMF sees weak yen as beneficial for Japan's economy
The IMF's Japan mission chief also urged Japan to raise rates at a gradual pace and compile supplementary budgets only when a big shock hits the economy.
The number of female CEOs in Japan in 2024 rose 37,038 from the year before, or by 6%.
BUSINESS
Oct 25, 2024
Proportion of female CEOs in Japan breaks 15% for first time
Survey finds progress but notes that prejudice based on gender roles remains an issue.

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Yasuyuki Yoshida stirs a brew in a fermentation tank at his brewery in Hakusan.
The quake that shook Noto's sake brewing tradition