ANALYSIS: Japan Eases Pandemic Rules, Risking Resurgence Amid Flat Approval Ratings
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s government has eased some restrictions on economic activity, risking a renewed upswing in coronavirus cases, as it seeks to fight the pandemic and support a recovery from last year’s slump at the same time. Ahead of general elections sometime this year, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga faces sluggish approval ratings […]
JAPAN Feb CPI Y/Y Drop Shrinks Further as Energy Posts Smaller Fall
— Energy, Subsidized Tuitions Remain Key Factor Behind Weak Core Prices By Max Sato (MaceNews) – The deflationary trend in Japanese consumer prices eased further in February in light of firmer food and energy costs, data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication released Friday showed, but consumption, the key growth driver, is forecast […]
Japan Feb. Exports Dip After January’s Pre-Lunar New Year Rush; Pickup Seen Intact
– Exports to China Continue Rising; Shipments to Asia Post Slight Drop – Demand for Chip-Making Machines Strong; Auto Exports Slowing By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japanese exports posted the first year-on-year drop in three months in February partly in reaction to rush shipments to Asia in January before the Lunar New Year holidays last […]
Japan Q4 GDP Revised Down on Lower Inventories; No Major Change To Solid Capex, Consumption
By Max Sato Gradual Economic Recovery Seen After Pullback in Q1 (MaceNews) – Japan’s economy posted the second straight quarter-on-quarter expansion in October-December but at a slightly slower pace than previously reported, as the decline in private-sector inventories turned out to sharper than initially estimated, Cabinet Office data released Tuesday showed. There was no major […]
Japan Jan Household Spending Plunges As Govt Urges Restrictions To Fight Pandemic
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s household spending posted a sharper-than-expected drop in January as the government called for restricted economic activity to slow the spread of the pandemic, data released Friday by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications showed. Expenditures on eating out and traveling are estimated to have remained weak for the […]
Japan MOF Survey Shows Q4 Capex Drop Slows; GDP Revision Seen Limited
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Business investment in equipment by many Japanese companies stayed below year-earlier levels in the October-December quarter, but the pace of decline decelerated as firms gradually resumed spending on factories and systems during the pandemic, a quarterly survey by the Ministry of Finance released Tuesday showed. This and other pieces of […]
Japan Jan Factory Output Rebounds But Pullback Forecast For Feb/Mar
– Shipments Also Rebound, Inventories Dip, Reflecting Solid Demand – METI: Limited Impact of Govt’s Request for Restricted Economic Activity By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s industrial production rebounded in January, marking the first rise in three months, reflecting solid domestic and overseas demand despite the pandemic, preliminary data released Friday by the Ministry of […]
Japan Feb Tokyo CPI Shows Small Drop As Food, Energy Downtrend Eases
– Weak Energy Still Key Factor Behind Year-on-Year CPI Decline – Government Has Suspended Travel Discounts but Hotels Cut Prices Amid Slump By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Consumer prices in Tokyo, a leading indicator of the national average, were little changed in February from January, leading to a smaller year-on-year drop in key measures as […]
Japan Government Downgrades View: Economy Picking Up, But ‘Weakness in Some Areas’
— Consumption Slower Amid Pandemic While Capex Playing Catchup — Japan Sees Pickup in Global Demand, Upgrading Views on S. Korea, Indonesia By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s government Friday downgraded its overview on the domestic economy for the first time since last April, when the first wave of COVID-19 infections prompted shorter business hours […]
Japan Jan CPI Y/Y Drop Shrinks on Suspended Travel Discounts Amid Pandemic
— Lower Energy Costs Remain Key Factor Behind Weak Consumer Prices By Max Sato (MaceNews) – The energy-led downtrend in Japanese consumer prices eased substantially in January as the government suspended discounts on leisure traveling amid surging new coronavirus cases, data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication released Friday showed. The improvement was […]