While we think Japan’s economy entered 2022 just above its pre-pandemic level, consumer spending will probably be knocked back this quarter by light-touch restrictions which are likely to be reimposed across most of the country within the next couple of weeks. Moreover, the added transmissibility of Omicron is likely to lead to a sizeable wave of staff absences in Japan. While PM Kishida is set to reduce the isolation period for coronavirus patients and their close contacts from 14 to 10 days, that would still be a strict isolation regime when compared with most Western countries. All told, we think Omicron will limit the economy to just a 0.2% q/q rise this quarter before a rebound in growth across Q2 and Q3.
Become a client to read more
This is premium content that requires an active Capital Economics subscription to view.
Already have an account?
You may already have access to this premium content as part of a paid subscription.
Sign in to read the content in full or get details of how you can access it
Register for free
Sign up for a free account to:
- Unlock additional content
- Register for Capital Economics events
- Receive email updates and economist-curated newsletters
- Request a free trial of our services