Japan September Jobless Rate Inches Up to 2.6% As More People Quit for Other Opportunities 
–Unemployment at 2.5% in August, 2.6% from May to July Vs. April’s 2-Year Low 2.5% –More People Quit to Seek Other Openings Vs. August, Last September –Employment Growth Up Sharply Y/Y After Posting 1st Drop in 4 months in July –Number of Unemployed Marks 15th Straight Y/Y Drop; Still Above January 2020 Level By Max […]
Japan Govt Sees Gradual Economic Pickup, Plans Package to Ease Pain of Rising Prices, Weak Yen
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s government Tuesday maintained its economic recovery scenario amid strong catchup demand for business investment and solid spending on dining out and traveling, but continued warning about downside risks posed by global slowdown amid tightening by many central banks and the weak yen that is boosting already high import costs, […]
Japan Appears to Have Sold Dollars in Stealth Intervention to Slow Yen’s Slide
–Currency Intervention Suspected as Dollar Slumps from Above Y151 to Under Y146 in New York Friday –Vice Finance Minister Kanda Declines Comment to Reporters in Tokyo–Yen Remains Weak Amid Wide US-Japan Rate Gap; BOJ Seen Keeping Easy Stance By Max Sato (MaceNews) – The Japanese government and the Bank of Japan appear to have stepped […]
Japan September Core CPI Hits 3% on Widespread Markups but BOJ Easing Seen in Place
–High Energy Costs Remain Largest Contributor, Processed Food Catching Up –Core CPI (Ex-Fresh Food) +3.0% Y/Y 31-Year High Excluding 2014, 1997 Sales Tax Hikes Impact–Narrow CPI (Ex-Fresh Food, Energy) +1.8% Y/Y, Close to BOJ’s 2% Inflation Target By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Consumer inflation in Japan continued its relentless upward march in September, reflecting high […]
Japan September Producer Inflation Unexpectedly Moves Up as Utilities Surge
–Weak Yen Continues Boosting Import Costs for Producers By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Producer inflation in Japan unexpectedly accelerated in September to just shy of a 41-year high hit in April, led by double-digit percentage gains continuing in utilities, nonferrous metals, iron and steel, chemicals and fuels while there was an uptick in highly weighted […]
Japan August Household Spending Up Y/Y But Slumps M/M on 7th Wave of Pandemic
–Spending on Traveling, Dining Remain Above 2021 When Covid State of Emergency Was in Place –Spending Down M/M Amid Record Covid Cases Hit Many Regions from Late July –Real Household Income Falls For 5th Straight Month on Rising Cost of Living By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s real household spending posted the third straight year-on-year […]
Japan September Tokyo Core CPI Rises Further on Food, Durable Goods Amid Elevated Producer Costs 
BOJ September Meeting Summary: Watch for Inflation, Pandemic, Global Recession
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Bank of Japan board members debated upside risks to inflation without substantial wage growth, which could be made worse by the lingering drag from the pandemic, according to the summary of opinions expressed at the bank’s Sept. 21-22 meeting released Monday. The summary, a preview of the minutes to be […]
BOJ Q3 Tankan Business Sentiment: Manufacturers Weaker, Services Up
–Manufacturers Cautious Amid Dimmer Global Growth Outlook –Services Upbeat as Govt Refrains from Imposing Strict Covid Rules –Business Confidence Seen Mostly Lower in December Amid Uncertainty –Firms, Large and Small, Further Revise Up Their Combined FY22 Capex Plans By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Confidence among major manufacturers in Japan unexpectedly slipped for the third straight […]
Japan MOF Data Shows Large Y2.84 Trln Yen-Buying Intervention on Sept. 22, First in 24 Years
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s yen-buying operation conducted on Sept. 22 to keep lopsided market forces from weakening the yen further against the dollar, totaled a large Y2.838 trillion ($20.3 billion), according to monthly data released Friday by the Ministry of Finance for the period from August 30 through September 28. The intervention, the […]