Japan Economics The yen’s depreciation has further to run We think the yen will drop even further as policy divergence widens. We now forecast USD/JPY to reach 140 by the end of this year, before dropping back as the Fed takes its foot off the gas in 2023... 22nd April 2022 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Update Four questions on FX intervention With the yen falling to a 20-year low against the dollar, talk of foreign exchange market intervention is growing. While we think the bar for any intervention is high, this Update answers some key... 21st April 2022 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Update Yen intervention may not work and benefits unclear The yen isn’t obviously undervalued so it isn’t clear whether attempts to weaken it would work. Most importantly, the Bank of Japan remains convinced that a weaker yen is beneficial for Japan’s... 6th April 2022 · 3 mins read
Japan Economics Update Cracks appearing in Yield Curve Control It hasn’t failed yet but the Bank of Japan’s need to return repeatedly this week to defend the ceiling of its yield target suggests that cracks are appearing in the structure of Yield Curve Control... 29th March 2022 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Update BoJ won’t tighten even as inflation reaches 2% target The Bank of Japan kept policy settings unchanged today and signalled that it is more worried about the negative impact of higher commodity prices on activity than about inflation spiralling out of... 18th March 2022 · 3 mins read
Japan Economics Update Soaring energy prices unlikely to dent profits much The recent spike in energy prices will lift import prices in Japan by around 10%, but the increase would be twice as large if Russian energy exports were banned. Japan’s flagship manufacturing sectors... 9th March 2022 · 5 mins read
Japan Economics Update 2% inflation if Russian energy flows disrupted A spike in energy prices caused by significant disruption to Russian exports would lift Japanese inflation to 2% from April until the end of this year. However, the BoJ wouldn’t respond by lifting its... 23rd February 2022 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Update What would a 5-year yield target mean for Japan? If the Bank of Japan shortened the duration of its yield target, the impact on economic activity and inflation would probably be small but it could improve the long-term health of insurers and pension... 22nd February 2022 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Update Prolonged border closure could lift labour costs With economic activity still depressed by recurrent virus waves, the sharp slowdown in immigration to Japan has yet to put much upwards pressure on wages. However, looking ahead we think some sectors... 9th February 2022 · 2 mins read
Japan Economics Update Manufacturing profit margins set to reach record-high Soaring input prices have kept profit margins of manufacturers below their pre-virus peak even as those of services firms have hit record highs. However, manufacturers will catch up before long. 6th February 2022 · 2 mins read
Japan Economics Update BoJ unlikely to lift interest rates anytime soon The Bank of Japan today upgraded its assessment of inflation risks to “broadly balanced” for the first time since 2014. However, it reiterated its pledge to keep expanding the monetary base until... 18th January 2022 · 3 mins read
Japan Economics Update Key calls for 2022 We expect GDP to return to its pre-virus path in the second half of the year as services spending finally returns to near-normal. However, the risks to that forecast remain tilted to the downside as... 5th January 2022 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Update BoJ won’t join hawkish shift by other central banks While central banks elsewhere are becoming increasingly hawkish, the Bank of Japan kept policy loose today and is set to remain among the most dovish central banks for the foreseeable future. 17th December 2021 · 3 mins read
Japan Economics Update Participation rate set to fall further The pandemic has brought a halt to the last decade’s rise in Japan’s participation rate which had allowed the labour force to expand despite challenging demographics. Any post-pandemic recovery is... 6th December 2021 · 5 mins read
Japan Economics Update Bank of Japan not losing control of money market Media reports that suggest that the Bank of Japan is losing control of short-term interest rates due to its “Special Deposit Facility” encouraging banks to park reserves at the BoJ are wide of the... 22nd November 2021 · 3 mins read
Japan Economics Update Virus caution by the elderly not a big downside risk Continued caution by the elderly is a downside risk to our upbeat forecasts for private consumption, but we’re already assuming that households won’t return to their old ways anytime soon. 3rd November 2021 · 2 mins read
