Japan Economics Weekly Weaker inflation reduces urgency for BoJ rate hikes While new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is reportedly preparing a larger supplementary budget than the one last year, coalition partner Ishin No Kai has dropped its demand to slash the sales tax on... 24th October 2025 · 5 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly Incoming PM unlikely to loosen fiscal policy much The stars are aligning for Sanae Takaichi to become Japan’s first female Prime Minister as soon as Tuesday. While the parties that she needs to rely on to secure a parliamentary majority have all been... 17th October 2025 · 6 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly Fiscal uncertainty adds to case for BoJ inaction Sanae Takaichi won Saturday’s LDP leadership elections but is struggling to gather enough support in parliament to become PM as long-standing partner Komeito has threatened to abandon the coalition... 10th October 2025 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly Hawkish BoJ tilt points to October rate hike While BoJ Governor Ueda acknowledged that Japan’s economy has so far shrugged off the impact of higher US tariffs, he warned that downside risks persist. Nonetheless, with the Governor admitting that... 3rd October 2025 · 5 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly Manufacturers starting to shift production to US Falling US-bound exports are a headwind to economic activity in Japan. But as long as firms are able to keep serving US customers via their US subsidiaries, the impact on corporate profits, investment... 26th September 2025 · 6 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly Inflation will continue to overshoot BoJ’s forecasts Given that Governor Ueda is still sounding very non-committal about the timing of the next rate hike, the two hawkish dissents at this week’s BoJ meeting could well prove to be a red herring. But with... 19th September 2025 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly LDP to choose a new leader, growth remains healthy PM Ishiba's successor will have to grapple with a politically-challenging environment when they take office early next month. But on the plus side, they will inherit a fairly resilient economy that... 12th September 2025 · 6 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly Japan will be able to cope with higher bond yields While the yield on 30-year Japanese Government Bonds hit a fresh multi-year high this week, this doesn’t pose a near-term threat to the sustainability of Japan’s public finances. After all, shorter... 5th September 2025 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly Tight labour market will prompt further BoJ tightening There are signs that the economy is losing momentum in response to US tariffs. However, with the labour market still extremely tight and inflation running well above the Bank of Japan’s 2% target, we... 29th August 2025 · 5 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly Japan Weekly: External headwinds still not doing much damage There are mounting signs that higher US tariffs are starting to weigh on exports. However, with business investment holding up and inflation still strong, the financial markets are coming around to... 22nd August 2025 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly Japan Weekly: BoJ will welcome resilience of Japan’s economy While faster productivity growth makes it easier for firms to absorb stronger wage growth, the Bank of Japan will welcome the resilience of consumer spending and business investment since Liberation... 15th August 2025 · 6 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly Japan Weekly: Weaker bonus growth won’t prevent further rate hikes Sluggish consumption and slower wage growth may convince the Bank of Japan to keep policy settings unchanged for longer. But amidst few signs that trade tensions have weighed on corporate profits so... 8th August 2025 · 5 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly Japan Weekly: Trade tensions unlikely to reduce wage growth much While the Bank of Japan became more upbeat about the outlook for inflation this week, it still thinks that trade tensions will result in a slower wage growth via lower corporate profits. However, with... 1st August 2025 · 5 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly Japan Weekly: Trade deal strengthens case for further BoJ tightening Japan managed to secure a reduction in US vehicle tariffs with minimal concessions of its own. While that could eventually prompt Trump to renege on his promises, as things stand the trade deal has... 25th July 2025 · 5 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly Japan Weekly: BoJ can’t shrug off strong inflation for much longer The resilience of exports and the strength in inflation leave the case for tighter monetary policy intact. Nonetheless, with trade negotiations between the US and Japan seemingly at a dead end, the... 18th July 2025 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly Japan Weekly: Stalling trade negotiations may delay BoJ rate hikes We still expect a trade deal with the US to be agree upon after the Upper House elections on 20 th July. However, given that very few countries have managed to reach an agreement so far, the... 11th July 2025 · 6 mins read
