Pulse: Japan


WSJ Editorial Cites My Writings on BOJ Dilemma

As I write this, the Bank of Japan (BOJ) has just announced that it will stand pat on its monetary policy. In the initial reaction, the yen/$ dropped three points to 131.2. The ten-year JGB dropped from 0.506% yesterday to 0.380%, but it remains to be seen whether that is due to BOJ intervention in the bond market. I will wait to see more of the the market reaction before commenting.

A Weak Yen Is Dragging Japan Down

Despite strengthening relative to the U.S. dollar in recent weeks, the currency’s real value is at a 50-year low.

Is Japan’s Inflation Really At a 40-Year High? What, if anything, does it mean for BOJ Policy?

“October Inflation At A 40-Year High” read the headlines. If this really were representative of overall inflation trends, it would put additional pressure on the Bank of Japan (BOJ) to raise interest rates in order to slow an overheating economy. But it reminds me of the line from the movie Absence of Malice: accurate but not true.

Japan's New Economy & Low Interest Rate Equilibrium - A Panel Discussion

Wednesday, October 26, 2022, 11AM CDT: EconVue Subscriber Event

You are invited to a panel discussion on Japan's outlier monetary policy with economists John Greenwood and Richard Katz, moderated by Lyric Hughes Hale. 

Japan Unlikely To Meet 2030 Goal For Emissions Reduction

On Climate Change, Economic Fundamentals Are Necessary But Not Sufficient

Japan’s Vulnerability If There’s A New Recession

How will Japan fare if rising interest rates and the war in Ukraine send the US and Europe into a new recession? Not well, if history is any guide. It all depends on the length and depth of any recession—that is, if one even occurs. But the record shows that Japan’s economy is very susceptible to outsized reactions to economic shocks, including downturns originating elsewhere.

Does A Weak Yen Really Help Japan?

Korea Grows Better Than Japan Without A Weak Currency Crutch

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