Japan Economics Weekly Over-employment at Japanese firms on the way out The employment component of the Tankan provided some welcome good news in an otherwise lacklustre survey. The employment index fell to its lowest level in four years, indicating that Japanese firms... 9th April 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Raising the consumption tax: a small step forward The government has finally succeeded in submitting a bill to parliament to increase the consumption tax. This is has been a long time coming and is an important step forward in putting the public... 2nd April 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly A brief look at Japan’s small business surveys Analysis of conditions for small and medium sized enterprises tends to be overlooked in favour of conditions for large manufacturers despite the importance of the sector to the economy. In this Weekly... 26th March 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly What can be done to boost growth? The Bank of Japan’s extension last week of its program to support growth sectors is unlikely to make a major contribution to lifting Japan’s relatively low potential growth rate of just 0.5%. Although... 19th March 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly How the disaster changed Japan’s economy In this Weekly we look at how last year’s disaster has changed Japan’s economy in the long-term. In our view, the legacy stems mainly from the nuclear catastrophe which will have lasting effects on... 12th March 2012 · 2 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly How much will the auto-subsidy boost GDP? The reintroduction of a government subsidy on fuel-efficient vehicles propelled a big increase in retail spending and industrial production in January. The subsidy should provide some support to auto... 5th March 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Are rising oil prices a threat to Japan’s economy? Recent increases in the price of oil to their highest level since 2008, and the possibility that they may climb even higher, raise questions over the sustainability of Japan’s economic recovery. In... 27th February 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Additional monetary easing is not enough The Bank of Japan’s latest increase in its asset purchase program has caused asset prices to rally and the yen to weaken. However, it remains to be seen whether the effect will be sustained and... 20th February 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly A closer look at the income account A large stream of income from Japan’s record holdings of overseas assets was the main reason the country did not record a current account deficit in 2011. With trade surpluses likely to be a thing of... 13th February 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Finance Ministry poised to act (unsuccessfully) The renewed rise in the yen against the dollar and growing evidence of the damaging effect on the real economy have brought further warnings from Ministry of Finance over the inappropriate strength of... 6th February 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Power uncertainty will accelerate hollowing out Growing uncertainty about the future of Japan’s power supply will accelerate the hollowing out of industry as electricity shortages discourage investment in Japan and encourage a shift of production... 30th January 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Does talk of euro intervention make sense? The Japanese Finance Minister has floated the possibility of another round of intervention in foreign exchange markets, this time aimed at stemming the rise of the yen against the euro. However, this... 23rd January 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Edging closer to a tipping point The FY2012 budget has increased our concerns that a tipping point in Japan’s public finances is getting closer. The proposed increase in the consumption tax to 10% would not be enough to put the... 16th January 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Large external surpluses are now history Japan's current account surplus is on a declining trend, with the merchandise trade balance already in annual deficit. These developments will add to concerns over Japan's ability to finance its huge... 9th January 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly A look back at 2011 In this Weekly we take a look back at 2011. The devastating earthquake and tsunami in March was undoubtedly the most significant event of the year. Principally a human tragedy, the disaster also had... 22nd December 2011 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Growth to disappoint in 2012 The headwinds facing the Japanese economy are more likely to grow than abate, prompting us to revise down our GDP forecasts out to 2014. A sharp slowdown in the global economy is likely to leave... 19th December 2011 · 1 min read
