<strong>Japan Sentiment Picks Up on Vaccine Rollout But Q3 GDP Seen Slower</strong>
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s sentiment surveys painted a rosier picture as the government has lifted its Covid-19 state of emergency on heavily hit regions, setting the stage for gradually reopening the economy, but global supply chain disruptions remain a major hindrance to recovery. The monthly Economy Watchers Survey, which was conducted by the […]
Japan Aug Household Spending Slips Amid 5th Wave of Pandemic, Bad Weather
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s household spending plunged in August as people were cautious about shopping or traveling amid the fifth wave of pandemic that was causing hospital bed shortages in major cities, data released Friday by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications showed. Heavy rains from mid-August caused damage and disrupted traffic […]
ANALYSIS UPDATE: Japan PM Kishida Inherits Thorny Economic, Social Change Targets
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s new Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is facing the same tough economic and social challenges that his predecessors tackled or created, leaving him no choice but to draw up longer-term plans to embark on a fundamental change. The soft-spoken former foreign minister, who leads the conservative Liberal Democratic Party, has […]
Japan PM Suga Not Seeking Re-Election Amid Public Rage Over Covid Surge
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is dropping out of the ruling party leadership race this month, effectively stepping down at the end of his short term, amid public furor over his government’s failure to contain the pandemic. Suga told an extraordinary executive meeting at the Liberal Democratic Party Friday that […]
Japan Govt Repeats Economic Pickup Intact, Led by Global Recovery
By Max Sato — Govt Warns of Risk Posed by Southeast Asian Lockdowns on Supply Chains (MaceNews) – Japan’s government Thursday repeated that the economy is still headed for recovery after the Q2 GDP data showed unexpectedly resilient consumer spending and a rebound in business investment, but warned about the downside risk posed by a […]
Japan June Core CPI Up Slightly for 2nd Straight Month on Higher Energy Costs
— Total CPI Marks 1st Y/Y Rise in 10 Months on Energy, Processed Food— Mobile Phone Fee Discounts in April Remain A Damper on CPI for Now By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s core consumer prices continued showing a modest gain in June in light of recovering overall energy costs, although gasoline prices posted a […]
Japan May Core CPI Posts 1st Y/Y Rise in 14 Months on Energy Pickup
By Max Sato –Lower Mobile Data Fees at Govt Request To Weigh on CPI for Now–Drop in Total CPI Eases on Smaller Fall in Fresh Food Prices (MaceNews) – Japan’s core consumer price index edged up on the month to mark its first year-on-year gain in 14 months as higher energy costs continued to offset […]
Japan April Factory Output Rises To Pre-Pandemic Level on Capex Demand
— Japan’s METI Keeps View Output Picking Up Despite Fluctuations By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s industrial production marked the second monthly straight rise in April, recovering to the pre-pandemic level, as solid demand for capital investment in chip-making equipment among others more than offset automobile output cutbacks caused by semiconductor shortages, data released Monday […]
Japan May Tokyo CPI Posts Slight Drop on Lower Mobile User Fees
— Recovering Gasoline Prices Easing Overall Price Fall By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Consumer prices in Tokyo, a leading indicator of the national average, continued posting a slight year-on-year drop in the core reading in May as the effect of firmer energy costs was more than offset by the downward pressure from lower mobile communications […]
Japan Government Downgrades View on Economy As Q1 Consumption Slumps
— Japan Sees Overseas Economies Picking Up; Upgrades Britain, Others By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s government Wednesday downgraded its view on the domestic economy for the first time in three months, saying the weakness in some spots is more pronounced while the economy stays on course toward a recovery from pandemic-caused slump, according to […]