Tag - japanese-economy

 
 

JAPANESE ECONOMY

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris hosts a roundtable discussion with Japanese business executives from companies in the semiconductor industry in Tokyo on Sept. 28, 2022. In a recent survey, some 43% of Japanese firms polled said they preferred a Harris presidency.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 15, 2024
Japan firms see Harris presidency as better for business than Trump
The results of a Reuters survey reflect respondents' concerns about protectionism and policy unpredictability.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s decision to step down as the ruling Liberal Democratic Party leader has thrown the race for his successor into uncertainty.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 15, 2024
Kishida’s resignation opens the door to a chaotic era
With Fumio Kishida's resignation, the LDP faces a crucial election next month with no clear front-runner to become its next leader.
People walk along Takeshita street at Harajuku shopping area in Tokyo
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 15, 2024
Japan's economy rebounds strongly on consumption boost, backing case for more rate hikes
The Bank of Japan had forecast that a solid economic recovery will help inflation hit its 2% target and justify raising interest rates further.
 Tourists walk through Nakamise shopping street near Sensoji Temple in Tokyo in April
JAPAN
Aug 13, 2024
Japan to revise consumption tax exemption for overseas tourists
A revision of the current system is being considered to prevent goods bought tax-free from being resold within the country.
Former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi says changes in the international balance of power, along with deepening economic interdependence, have led some countries to attempt to use their economic power to impose their will on others.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 13, 2024
Economic security is about strengthening and sustaining growth, former minister says
The nascent concept goes beyond more regulations and restrictions, says Japan's first economic security minister, Takayuki Kobayashi.
A Bank of Japan report said input prices for firms gained 3.0% from a year earlier.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 13, 2024
Japan’s producer inflation quickens for sixth straight month
The increase reflected rising prices of materials due to a weaker yen and the suspension of subsidies to ease the impact of higher electricity and gas prices.
The Bank of Japan won't be able to introduce another rate hike this year, according to former board member Makoto Sakurai.
BUSINESS
Aug 12, 2024
Ex-BOJ board member rules out another rate hike this year
Recent market upheaval and the BOJ’s reaction to it are making market participants wary about the outlook.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda speaks during a news conference after the central bank's policy meeting in Tokyo on July 31.
BUSINESS
Aug 11, 2024
BOJ’s policy path fraught with risks after global market turmoil
Markets erupted with volatility within days of a BOJ rate hike on July 31.
JPMorgan Asset has wagers that profit when the yield gap between shorter and longer-term Japanese bonds narrows, and is among those mapping out the BOJ’s next policy step after a wild week of trading.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 10, 2024
JPMorgan Asset gameplans for risk BOJ hikes are done this year
"It’s pretty clear that the Bank of Japan is not going to move until markets settle down,” said the head of global rates at the firm.
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Monday as selloffs in global markets, including Japan’s Nikkei 225 index, deepened amid concerns about a slowdown in the global economy.
EDITORIALS
Aug 9, 2024
BOJ rate hike spooked markets, but it's not the sole culprit
Unwinding decades of loose monetary policy was always going to be challenging, and the global economy must brace for similar adjustments from other central banks.
The Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo. This week's market turmoil underscored how difficult it is for the central bank to limit market shocks as it unwinds years of extraordinary monetary stimulus.
BUSINESS / Markets
Aug 9, 2024
Mixed messages from BOJ leave traders guessing about its true aims
Investors are wondering how much faith they can put into the Bank of Japan following comments that appear to be damage control.
Japan’s civil servants will likely see the biggest salary increases in over three decades in the current fiscal year.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 8, 2024
Japan’s public servants may see biggest pay hike in 32 years
The Finance Ministry estimates that implementing these recommendations could increase the financial burden of sustain services by roughly ¥382 billion ($2.6 billion).
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda speaks to reporters on July 3.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 8, 2024
Bank of Japan’s surprise rate rise a real head-scratcher for some analysts
Some analysts are skeptical about consumption actually being stimulated, saying that positive wage growth will not necessarily guarantee that.
As investors look for opportunities in the new environment created by the Bank of Japan and the resulting market turmoil, there is broad consensus that they will have to reevaluate what they thought they knew about the country.
BUSINESS / Markets
Aug 7, 2024
Japan morphs into the center of worry for global investors
In less than a week, Japan has completely upended the world’s expectations for its markets and economy.
The Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo. BOJ Deputy Gov. Shinichi Uchida sent a strong dovish signal in the wake of historic financial market volatility in Japan by pledging to refrain from hiking interest rates when markets are unstable.
BUSINESS / Markets
Aug 7, 2024
BOJ deputy governor plays down chance of near-term rate hike
Shinichi Uchida's remarks stand in contrast with Gov. Kazuo Ueda's hawkish comments made last week when the BOJ unexpectedly raised interest rates.
Shigeru Ishiba speaks during an interview in Tokyo on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 7, 2024
LDP bigwig Ishiba endorses BOJ's rate hikes
"The Bank of Japan is on the right policy track" in raising interest rates, Shigeru Ishiba said.
Bears think the best days for bank shares may be over, but for investors who are worried the yen may have further room to gain, bank shares have the additional benefit of having limited exposure to foreign-exchange fluctuations.
BUSINESS / Markets
Aug 7, 2024
Massive losses set stage for big rebound in Japan’s bank stocks
In the first three days of August, the Topix Banks index lost 26.5%, more than the 20.3% fall in the broader Topix index.
Ngun Nei Par, the general manager at Ginshotei Awashima in Numata, Gunma Prefecture, graduated from a university in Myanmar with a degree in geography.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 6, 2024
Japan needs foreign workers, but it might not want them to stay long
Japanese politicians remain reluctant to create pathways for foreign workers, especially those in low-skill jobs, to stay indefinitely.
The Bank of Japan released minutes from its June policy board meeting Monday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 5, 2024
Up rates before it’s 'too late,’ one BOJ policy board member said in June
Some members of the nine-member policy board mentioned that a weak yen could inflate import prices and put upward pressure on consumer prices.
A return to the world with interest will almost certainly mean an increase in the bifurcation of Japan's haves and have-nots.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 5, 2024
Is Japan ready for a ‘world with interest?’
Ever since Ueda arrived at the central bank 15 months ago, economists have been debating what the "world with interest” will look like.

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Yasuyuki Yoshida stirs a brew in a fermentation tank at his brewery in Hakusan.
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