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
Japan Economics Weekly Energy prices determining inflation in Japan The latest figures for the consumer price index in June showed the economy continues to struggle to escape deflation. Underlying price pressures remain very weak with energy prices determining short... 27th July 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Why we expect weaker growth than the IMF The IMF downgraded its global growth forecasts last week including those for Japan, but they still remain well above our own. In this Weekly we explain why our forecasts differ from theirs and where... 20th July 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Japan’s revitalisation strategy The government unveiled its draft of a revitalisation plan for Japan last Wednesday. The strategy sets out a broad range of policies to lift economic growth, end deflation and create over four million... 16th July 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly A quick look at housing and land prices in Japan Land prices continue to drop in Japan despite having already been falling for over twenty years. During that period, house prices have risen on occasion, most recently in 2010. But in each case the... 9th July 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Recovery stuttering to a halt The most recent data on Japan have painted a dismal picture of economic conditions in May. Industrial production has fallen sharply as auto makers cut output in anticipation of the end of the auto... 29th June 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly The allure of Japanese government bonds Not for the first time, international investors have increased their exposure to Japan’s government and their share of outstanding government securities has grown. However, they have mainly bought... 25th June 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly A closer look at Japanese bank lending in Asia As the IMF noted in its recent Article IV consultation, Japanese banks have been expanding abroad, particularly in emerging Asia. They have not been alone in doing so, but unlike banks from other... 18th June 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Economy set to slow sharply after Q1 growth spurt The strong rebound in Japanese GDP in Q1 is likely to mark the high point for growth this year. The recovery is heavily reliant on government support and it looks increasingly unlikely that the... 11th June 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly How exposed are Japanese banks to the periphery? With the crisis in the euro-zone escalating further, in this Weekly we use Bank for International Settlement figures to assess how exposed Japanese banks are to the euro-zone periphery economies. 4th June 2012 · 1 min read
