Richard Katz


TOE Alert: Is Japan's potential growth really just 0.5%?

Japan’s productivity growth faces two challenges from the labor side: a demographic crunch in which each worker must finance the livelihood of more retirees and an erosion of the skills of the labor due to the rise of non-regular workers to 37% of the labor force.

TPP: More ON GOP & Hillary; Japanese Growth

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

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: How Does Japan Stack up on Growth Compared to G7, Part 2

Richard's second installment on how Japan's economic growth has been compared with other G7 countries.

TOE Alert: How does Japan's Growth Stack up in International Comparisons, Part 1

Some economists claim that except for aging, Japan does not really have a problem with growth in GDP or productivity. And in this report Richard argues why that statement is incorrect.

How Will BOJ Respond to Return of Deflation?

By one measure, deflation, like the swallows at Capistrano, has returned to Japan. According to the official target of the Bank of Japan (BOJ)—the consumer price index (CPI) except for fresh food—prices fell -0.1% in August from last year. This is the first time Japan has seen deflation since April 2013.

TOE Alert: Another Technical Recession Predicted

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

TOE Alert: Time Running out for TPP; Auto Talks in DC Make Little or No Headway

Automotive TPP talks last week in DC failed to resolve—or even narrow substantially—the gap among the US, Japan, Canada and Mexico. Another round of talks is expected next week.

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

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.”

How Much Do Stock Prices Help Abe?

In this report, Richard argues why Abe's belief that the rising stock prices will help his overall approval rating is incorrect.

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