Japan Economics Weekly The return of the LDP Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda dissolved parliament on Friday, paving the way for a general election on 16th December. The decision is likely to mean the fall of the ruling DPJ party from office and... 19th November 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Is Japan’s labour market about to unravel? Improvements in labour market conditions earlier this year came to a halt in Q3 as the economy experienced a sharp decline. With most indicators pointing to a further contraction in Q4, we think... 12th November 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly The effect of the consumption tax hike on growth The proposed increase in the consumption tax in April 2014 and again in October 2015 can be expected to affect the economy through two routes. First, it will generate a front-loaded increase in demand... 5th November 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Japan is fast approaching its own fiscal cliff The government is fast approaching a “fiscal cliff”. An extraordinary session of parliament is meeting from Monday (29th), in which the government will try to force the passage of deficit-covering... 29th October 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Another impotent “stimulus” package The Japanese government has announced its intention to create a new stimulus package to boost the moribund economy and presumably revive the political fortunes of the ruling party. It is unlikely to... 22nd October 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Japan’s automakers and the importance of China The auto industry in particular has been feeling the effects of the Chinese boycott of Japanese products following the protests over the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu islands. In September Toyota and Nissan... 15th October 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly How important is non-China Asia to Japan? Japan’s economic relationship with China is important, but so is Japan’s relationship with other countries in Asia. These other economies account for a greater share of trade and outward foreign... 8th October 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Production tumbles further but still no end in sight The latest figures on Japan’s economy were downbeat. We have been forecasting a contraction in Q3 GDP since June and nothing that has happened since has shifted that view. Industrial production has... 1st October 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly How big is Japan's business presence in China? Following the recent protests in China that have caused many Japanese firms to temporarily close factories and shops, in this Weekly we look at how the presence of Japanese companies in China has... 24th September 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Can Japan cope without nuclear power? Leaked details of the government’s new energy plan suggest that nuclear power will be phased-out by the 2030s. In this Weekly we argue that the main reason Japan coped without nuclear power this... 17th September 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly How successful was the auto subsidy? The government’s eco-car subsidy appears to have run its course. Although it provided a visible boost to car sales, which supported aggregate spending, the subsidy should not be given all the credit... 7th September 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Industry struggling as policy support fades The boost to industrial production from reconstruction spending appears to be fading. With no signs of a recovery in domestic private sector demand, and external demand set to remain weak, the outlook... 31st August 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly No respite in sight for Japan's manufacturers It was perhaps refreshing that last week there was at least one occasion when news from Japan drove markets elsewhere, rather than vice versa. Unfortunately, that news was bad, namely the weakness of... 24th August 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Don’t count on extra budget to revive the recovery The government has raised the prospect of introducing a supplementary budget before the end of the year. With the recovery unwinding and an election just around the corner, it is not hard to see why... 17th August 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly A look ahead to Q2 (and Q3) GDP The government’s latest economic assessment suggests that the recovery has “paused”. As we approach the middle of the third quarter, it looks increasingly likely that the recovery has in fact started... 10th August 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Trouble in Japan's labour market The recent fall in Japan’s unemployment rate looks less encouraging when we consider that the level of employment has been little changed for three years. Much of the decline in unemployment is due to... 3rd August 2012 · 1 min read
