Japan Economics Weekly The fire on the other side of the river Japan’s policymakers have said that the euro-zone crisis is not a fire on the other side of the river – the implication being that Japan will not be able to escape indefinitely the debt problems that... 28th May 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Power shortages will bite hard this summer The government’s power saving plan for the summer confirms Japan will face acute power shortages. The hardest hit regions will experience shortages in excess of 15% compared to 2010 levels, and... 21st May 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Safe haven demand to lift yen further In the last week, the yen has again broken through 80 against the dollar, taking the currency to its strongest level since February. The yen has strengthened despite the recent increase in the ceiling... 14th May 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly A bumpy ride for growth We have little doubt that the Japanese economy returned to growth in Q1 but it is looking increasingly likely that growth will slow sharply again in Q2 and we wouldn’t completely rule out a renewed... 7th May 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Japan mustn’t miss chance for trade liberalisation Aggressive monetary easing alone will not be enough to boost prices and activity in the real economy: structural changes to the supply side of the economy are also necessary. Reducing regulation... 30th April 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly A return to growth in 2012 In this Weekly we present our updated GDP forecasts. The Japanese economy looks set to return to growth in Q1 after contracting in four of the last five quarters. We expect the economy will continue... 23rd April 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Making sense of the monetary aggregates As if the Bank of Japan were not facing enough political pressure to ease policy further, some commentators have cited the recent contraction in the monetary base as additional evidence that a lot... 16th April 2012 · 1 min read
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
