Japan Economics Weekly Economy bigger than thought and poised to rebound Rebased national accounts data released this week show that Japan’s nominal GDP is around 5% higher than previously estimated, which in turn implies that the ratio of public debt to GDP is lower. This... 12th December 2025 · 6 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly 10-year JGB yield set to reach 30-year high In the wake of the BoJ signaling a rate hike at its December meeting, the 10-year JGB yield has approached 2% and we think it will climb to a 30-year high of 2.5% over the next couple of years. We... 5th December 2025 · 5 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly Bank of Japan opening the door to December rate hike Recent communication from the Bank of Japan has left the door open to a rate hike in December. However, it’s not clear whether the Bank has already gathered sufficient information on the likely... 28th November 2025 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly 10-year JGB yield will reach 2% next year The government indicated this week that it will loosen fiscal policy by around 1% of GDP in the upcoming supplementary budget. Coupled with PM Takaichi giving BoJ Governor Ueda a free hand on when to... 21st November 2025 · 5 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly The risks from escalating tensions with China There is a risk that the recent tensions with China escalate into a full-blown trade spat akin to the conflict around the Senkaku islands in the early 2010s. There are several avenues through which... 14th November 2025 · 6 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly Better rice harvest won’t result in price plunge The renewed jump in rice prices in recent months probably reflects the depletion of inventories ahead of this year’s harvest. If rice output picks up as strongly as the government is anticipating... 7th November 2025 · 3 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly BoJ on course for January rate hike While the Bank of Japan left policy settings unchanged this week, Governor Ueda signaled that the Board won’t wait much longer before resuming its tightening cycle. Indeed, with structural labour... 31st October 2025 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly Weaker inflation reduces urgency for BoJ rate hikes While new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is reportedly preparing a larger supplementary budget than the one last year, coalition partner Ishin No Kai has dropped its demand to slash the sales tax on... 24th October 2025 · 5 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly Incoming PM unlikely to loosen fiscal policy much The stars are aligning for Sanae Takaichi to become Japan’s first female Prime Minister as soon as Tuesday. While the parties that she needs to rely on to secure a parliamentary majority have all been... 17th October 2025 · 6 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly Fiscal uncertainty adds to case for BoJ inaction Sanae Takaichi won Saturday’s LDP leadership elections but is struggling to gather enough support in parliament to become PM as long-standing partner Komeito has threatened to abandon the coalition... 10th October 2025 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly Hawkish BoJ tilt points to October rate hike While BoJ Governor Ueda acknowledged that Japan’s economy has so far shrugged off the impact of higher US tariffs, he warned that downside risks persist. Nonetheless, with the Governor admitting that... 3rd October 2025 · 5 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly Manufacturers starting to shift production to US Falling US-bound exports are a headwind to economic activity in Japan. But as long as firms are able to keep serving US customers via their US subsidiaries, the impact on corporate profits, investment... 26th September 2025 · 6 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly Inflation will continue to overshoot BoJ’s forecasts Given that Governor Ueda is still sounding very non-committal about the timing of the next rate hike, the two hawkish dissents at this week’s BoJ meeting could well prove to be a red herring. But with... 19th September 2025 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly LDP to choose a new leader, growth remains healthy PM Ishiba's successor will have to grapple with a politically-challenging environment when they take office early next month. But on the plus side, they will inherit a fairly resilient economy that... 12th September 2025 · 6 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly Japan will be able to cope with higher bond yields While the yield on 30-year Japanese Government Bonds hit a fresh multi-year high this week, this doesn’t pose a near-term threat to the sustainability of Japan’s public finances. After all, shorter... 5th September 2025 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly Tight labour market will prompt further BoJ tightening There are signs that the economy is losing momentum in response to US tariffs. However, with the labour market still extremely tight and inflation running well above the Bank of Japan’s 2% target, we... 29th August 2025 · 5 mins read
