News Reports: Former Japan Prime Minister Abe Shot During Speech; Japan Rocked by Incident
(MaceNews) – Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, known for his reflationary economic policy and nationalistic views, was shot from behind by a man in his 40s in the western prefecture of Nara on Friday, public broadcaster NHK and other news media reported. Ahead of Sunday’s upper house elections, in which the ruling coalition is […]
Japan May Household Spending Dips as Supply Crunch Dents Car Output, People Cooking Less
–Households Dining Out, Traveling More, Limiting Y/Y Drop in May Vs. April, March –Govt Official: Cannot Yet Say If Rising Inflation Hurting Spending; Covid, Weather Also Affect Consumers –Real Household Income Falls For 2nd Straight Month as Inflation Bites By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s real household spending unexpectedly fell on year for the third […]
BOJ June Tankan Business Sentiment Mixed; Manufacturers Down, Services Up
–Covid Lockdowns in China, High Producer Costs Weigh on Factory Operators –Services Upbeat on Japan’s Eased Covid Rules, Summer Spending Hopes –Business Confidence Seen Flat to Softer in September Amid Uncertainty –Firms, Large and Small, Revise Up Their Combined FY22 Capex Plans By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Confidence among major manufacturers in Japan sagged for […]
Japan June Tokyo CPI Y/Y Rise Stays Above 2% but BOJ Keeps Easing Stance 
–Energy, Food Prices Lead Inflation; BOJ Sees Impact of Commodity Prices Spike Fading in FY23 –Gasoline Price Markups Smaller on Govt Subsidies; Utilities Costs High but Also Easing By Max Sato (MaceNews) – The year-on-year rise in consumer prices in Tokyo, the leading indicator of the national average, continued edging up above the Bank of […]
Japan May Jobless Rate Ticks Up from April but Job Growth Up on Year
–Numbers of Lost Jobs, People Looking for Other Openings Both Up from April –May Unemployment at 2.6%, Up from April’s 2-Year Low Level of 2.5% By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japanese payrolls posted the second straight increase from year-earlier levels in May as Covid restrictions were eased in late March, but materials, parts and products […]
Japan May Industrial Output Plunges as China Covid Lockdowns Worsen Supply Bottlenecks
–METI: June Output Likely to Rebound but Not Enough to Offset May Drop–May Index of Industrial Production Hits Lowest Level Since August 2020 –METI Downgrades View for 2nd Straight Month: Output Weaker Vs. Pausing –METI Repeats: To Watch Effects of Pandemic, Parts Shortages, Inflation, Ukraine War By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s industrial production posted […]
Japan May Retail Sales Post 3rd Straight Rise on Eased Covid Rules, Hot Weather 
–METI Upgrades View: Retail Sales Picking Up Gradually Vs. Showing Signs of Pickup –Department Store Sales Surge; Summer Clothing Up on Heat Wave –High Fuel Costs Prop Up Retail Sales; Supply Delays Keep Auto Sales Down By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japanese retail sales posted the third straight rise in May both on the year […]
Preview: BOJ June Tankan Sentiment Mixed; Manufacturers Down, Services Up
–Covid Lockdowns in China, High Producer Costs Weigh on Factory Operators –Services Seen Upbeat on Japan’s Eased Covid Rules, Summer Spending Hopes –Business Confidence Projected to Improve in September Amid Uncertainty –Firms, Large and Small, Expected to Revise Up Their Combined FY22 Capex Plans By Max Sato (MaceNews) – The Bank of Japan’s quarterly Tankan […]
BOJ June Meeting Summary: Need Easing for Stable 2% Inflation, Wage Hikes
–Board Members See Uncertainty from China’s Covid Policy, Other Risks–Members Note Pickup in Service Sector on Japan’s Eased Covid Rules By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Bank of Japan board members argued that continued monetary easing is necessary to anchor 2% inflation in a “stable” manner, and to achieve that goal, fiscal support and labor market […]
Japan May CPI Annual Rate Remains Above 2% on Fuels, Food, Appliances
By Max Sato –Core CPI +2.1% Y/Y for May, April Largest in Over 13 Years If 2014 Sales Tax Hike Impact Excluded–Total CPI +2.4% Y/Y for May, April Largest in Over 30 Years Excluding Impact of 2014, 1997 Sales Tax Hikes–Pace of Energy Price Rise Slower; Household Durable Goods Prices on Uptrend (MaceNews) – Consumer […]