Japan Economics Weekly Signs of success in raising female employment Female employment has risen sharply since Prime Minister Abe returned to office. However, most of the newly-created jobs are part-time or temporary, offering lower pay and fewer opportunities for... 2nd May 2014 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Will Japan’s exports pick up again? Japan’s exports have been broadly flat in recent years, reflecting a mix of cyclical headwinds (such as weak global demand) and structural pressures (notably the shift in production capacity abroad)... 28th April 2014 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Can robots help offset adverse demographics? With the working-age population projected to shrink by almost a third by 2050, it has been suggested that robots could be part of the solution to Japan’s demographic challenges and help boost... 21st April 2014 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly How much spare capacity is left? If Japan is to succeed in escaping deflation, growth will have to pick up sufficiently to eliminate the margin of spare capacity - the so-called output gap - that has kept price pressures subdued... 14th April 2014 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Is Kurodanomics working? The Bank of Japan has become much more aggressive since Mr. Kuroda took over a year ago. The central bank’s “shock and awe” approach is a welcome departure from the gradualist ways of previous... 7th April 2014 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Is Japan really investing too much? Japan invests a larger share of its income in machinery and equipment than most other advanced countries, while generating rather tepid returns. Some are suggesting that Japan would be better served... 31st March 2014 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly How much damage are high energy prices doing? Energy prices in Japan are now touching all-time highs, in part because a weaker currency has pushed up the local price of imports. But the threat to Japanese industry is easily overdone. In fact... 24th March 2014 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Rising wages no guarantee of end to deflation The rise in base wages agreed upon in this year’s spring wage negotiations is far less impressive than some of the headlines suggest and is still consistent with real incomes falling. There is a good... 17th March 2014 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly How vulnerable is Japan to geopolitical risks? Events in Ukraine and elsewhere in the emerging world have brought into focus Japan’s exposure to geopolitical risks due to its reliance on imported energy and the yen’s safe-haven role. Barring some... 10th March 2014 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Competitive gains from weak yen fail to materialise Despite the sharp fall in the yen since 2012, Japanese exporters lost global market share last year. Rising costs and a sluggish world economy have played a part and both factors should fade in... 3rd March 2014 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Inflation likely to fall back soon With the yen broadly stable since last May, import price inflation has already started to moderate and will probably fall sharply in the next few months. As wage growth is still muted and spare... 24th February 2014 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Making sense of the diverging surveys Wide divergences have emerged in the results of the sentiment surveys in recent months. These typically reflect the design of each survey, as more backward-looking measures have climbed to record... 17th February 2014 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Is Japan facing a repeat of 1997-98? While some emerging market assets have seen a sharp sell-off in recent weeks, it is premature to speak of a general crisis sweeping the emerging world. In any case, Japan’s exposure to most of the... 10th February 2014 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Strong positive momentum at start of new year The Japanese economy is entering the new year with strong momentum. The data are probably being flattered by spending brought forward ahead of April’s consumption tax hike. But if this spending helps... 3rd February 2014 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Can special zones revive the property market? The government’s proposal to allow residential properties to be built on some areas of commercial land is unlikely to lead to the hoped-for surge in property prices. With a larger supply of... 27th January 2014 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly “Wage surprise” more likely to be a damp squib Prime Minister Abe has promised to deliver a positive "wage surprise" this year by working closely with employers and trade unions. He has drawn inspiration from an agreement reached in the... 20th January 2014 · 1 min read
