Japan

TOE Report: Third Term for Abe

written by Richard Katz on November 12, 2016

Third Term for Abe, Early election escapades, The Politics of Japan’s trade strategy, Economy Watch

Why Culture Matters: On Governance Scandals and Corporate Malfeasance in Japan

written by Nicholas Benes on July 09, 2016

As the initial proposer and a behind-the-scenes advisor on Japan’s Corporate Governance Code, I am naturally pleased with the progress that the country has made in the past two years. This is of course relative to the rather low bar that was set by the previous fifteen years in which we governance advocates made comparatively little progress, against enormous resistance from the industrial lobby.

The Oriental Economist - June 2016

written by Richard Katz on June 17, 2016

The Oriental Economist June 2016 Issue topics cover Nurturing entrepreneurs, UH election prospects, Foreign Firms in Japan, Economy Watch, Losing steam among voters, Mr. Obama goes to Hiroshima.

TOE Alert: Machinery Orders up a Lot, But Beware of Monthly Gyrations

written by Richard Katz on December 09, 2015

Japan-watchers got very excited because core private machinery orders in October were up 10% on a month-on-month basis, However, the monthly movements in orders have very large gyrations, even though the most volatile elements are removed from core orders. Bottom line: core orders could be a genuine “green shoot,” or one month’s surprising number may be misleading us.

TPP: More ON GOP & Hillary; Japanese Growth

written by Richard Katz on October 08, 2015

Despite the claimed economic gains for Japan from TPP (more on that in another Alert), many in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) fear it could be a political loss: particularly in the 32 mostly rural single-seat districts that have tipped the balance in the last three Upper House elections.

TPP: Ball is in GOP Court

written by Richard Katz on October 09, 2015

In a surprising development, it is Congressional Republicans and a few of their business allies who now pose the biggest threat to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a trade agreement among 12 countries with 40% of the world’s GDP.

TOE Alert: Another Technical Recession Predicted

written by Richard Katz on October 01, 2015

Japan in "technical recession" as July-Sept. GDP estimated to have fallen for 2nd consecutive quarter

Enforce Japan’s Anti-Discrimination Laws: How to Raise Wages

written by Richard Katz on September 04, 2015

Richard Katz's September issue of TOE includes reports on How to Raise Wages, For Now, Abe Polls Bounce, Abe Opens Door with Statement on War, Abe’s Careful Speech, Economy Watch, an interview with Nicholas Lardy on China's stock market and an interview with Tokyo University assistant professor Matthew Brummer, an expert on innovation, to understand Japan’s status as a “tech power.”