Economy

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank has stoked concern of a wider banking crisis.
Economy

Fears of global downturn grow over banking turmoil, higher rates

Uncertainties loom despite improvements in supply chains

18 May 2023
While the outlook for the global economy is becoming increasingly uncertain, there are many favorable trends in Japan. (Photo by Tomoki Mera)
17 May 2023
The Tokyo skyline. Domestic private consumption in Japan grew 0.6% quarter-on-quarter in the first quarter, and capital expenditures gained 0.9%.
Economy

Japan's Q1 GDP expands by annualized 1.6%

Economy rebounds more than expected on post-COVID spending

17 May 2023
Under the leadership of Speaker Kevin McCarthy, House Republicans are refusing to raise the debt limit unless the White House agrees to massive budget cuts.
17 May 2023
Japan's three top banks reported their highest combined annual profits in nine years on Monday. (Source photos by Reuters, Jiji and AP) 
Finance

Top Japan banks' upbeat forecast dimmed by U.S. worries

High interest rates and regional bank failures raise red flags in growth market

16 May 2023
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stressed the need for cooperation between the government and the Bank of Japan at a May 15 meeting. (Photo by Uichiro Kasai)
Economy

Japan to work with BOJ toward sustainable wage growth

Deflationary fears loom despite largest pay raises in 30 years

16 May 2023
Tokyo's nighttime businesses have been slower to recover than those of other major urban centers around the world.
Datawatch

Tokyo nightlife still not fully lit despite global COVID recovery

NASA data on luminosity shows city at 90% of pre-pandemic levels

13 May 2023
The yen has lost strength against a range of currencies, including the Swiss franc.
Currencies

Yen near record low against Swiss franc as safe haven appeal fades

Trade deficits and BOJ policy have eroded Japanese currency's strength

13 May 2023
Finance ministers from six non-G-7 countries joined the meeting in Niigata on Friday. (Photo by Tomoki Mera)
G-7 in Japan

G-7 talks with India, Indonesia, others to curb China dependence

Chinese lead in clean energy supply chains, while bloc has limited role: OECD

12 May 2023
Japanese households spent less in March on food and goods amid continuing price hikes.
Economy

Japan's March GDP down 0.6% as consumption stagnates: JCER

Think tank says consumers saved money amid prolonged inflation

12 May 2023
A Russian service member is seen atop of an armored vehicle during a military parade on Victory Day in Moscow.
G-7 in Japan

G-7 seeks to bolster Russia sanctions as China and India fill gap

Financial restrictions accelerate shift away from dollar

12 May 2023
Japan Post Holdings CEO Hiroya Masuda said his company is in urgent need of restructuring in a recent interview with Nikkei in Tokyo.
Transportation

Japan Post eyes post office restructuring, CEO says

Universal service under scrutiny amid profit squeeze at privatized company

11 May 2023
Fragmentation in trade in services, capital flows and cross-border investment is worse than in goods trade, says Adam Posen, president of the Peterson Institute for International Economics.
Interview

Japan can be assertive with U.S. on free trade: think tank chief

Economic fragmentation will hurt innovation and growth, Adam Posen warns

9 May 2023
South Korea's Pohang University of Science and Technology wants to become a "metaversity" with digital classrooms.
Education

Metaverse education blossoms in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan

Teaching taps VR even as emerging tech's mass adoption remains in doubt

8 May 2023
The Tokyo Stock Exchange's demand for "concrete action" plans pressures Japanese companies trading below book value. (Source photo by Kyodo)
Market Spotlight

Japanese companies embrace shareholder activism as never before

Low valuations coupled with rising payouts attract global investors

8 May 2023
More than 80% of the buyers of these luxury condos near Shuri Castle in Naha, Okinawa's leading tourist spot, are from outside the prefecture. (Photo courtesy of Daiwa House Industry)
Property

New $1.4m condo completed in Naha's Shuri Castle area

Okinawa rental and sales prices rise along with land prices, construction costs

7 May 2023
Japan lags behind other advanced economies in agricultural productivity, as individual farms still account for 60% of domestic sales.
Datawatch

Businesses help spur Japan's agricultural revival

Companies now make up 40% of local sales, but overall productivity still low

6 May 2023
Japanese local railway operators are struggling to attract as many passengers as they had before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Transportation

70% of Japan's local railways say pre-COVID ridership won't return

Combined losses more than double from before pandemic, survey shows

5 May 2023
Asian Development Bank President Masatsugu Asakawa speaks on May 3 in Incheon, South Korea, at the bank's annual meeting.
Finance

Asian ministers warn on Western banking turmoil at ADB meeting

IMF Asia chief cites uncertainty over BOJ policy and risk of global spillovers

5 May 2023
The IMF's Asia and Pacific Department says risks from weakening exports to advanced economies, slowing productivity in China and a fragmentation of global trade are clouding Asia's outlook.
Bank of Japan

IMF sees uncertainty over Japan's monetary policy

Shift from ultralow rates could significantly impact globe: regional director

4 May 2023
A aerial shot of Osaka. Inflation-caused bankruptcies are growing in Japan. (Photo by Hiromasa Matsuura)
Economy

Inflation drives more Japanese companies into bankruptcy

More 'cost pass-through' needed for sustainable increase in stagnant wages

3 May 2023
Tourists from South Korea buy duty-free goods at Fukuoka Airport in January. (Photo by Shinya Sawai)
Japan-South Korea ties

Japan-South Korea thaw spreads to economy as finance chiefs meet

Tourism and trade enjoy major windfall after years of tensions

3 May 2023
Hiroshi Matano, executive vice president at the World Bank Group's Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (Photo by Kosuke Takami)
Interview

Investment in developing nations may hit 20-year low: World Bank official

Private-sector money to poorest areas is sinking, agency chief warns

2 May 2023
Monthly inbound spending per credit card increased 30% in the three years through last December, thanks to spending on leisure and other activities by Asia's wealthy.
Datawatch

Rural Japan leads growth in inbound tourism spending

Asia's rich lured to hot springs and golf resorts

29 April 2023
Somewhere in Aomori Prefecture, northern Japan. The nation's empty house problem is particularly noticeable in rapidly depopulating rural areas. (Photo courtesy of Katitas)
Society

Japan proposes tightening rules against abandoned houses

Owners risk paying six times more in property taxes if they let homes rot

29 April 2023