Hideo Tamura, Special Economic Affairs journalist with Sankei Newspapers, writes (Sekai, March edition) about the state of the yen.
Entries from February 2008
February 26, 2008
Changing Tides – What 2007 Statistics Reveal
Jirou Terajima gives an interesting overview of socio-economic statistics for 2007, with a mind to what can be expected in 2008 (Sekai, March edition).
February 26, 2008
Advancing Solar Technology
The Asahi Shinbun reports today that electronics maker Sharp is investing in a joint venture to be set up with Daiwa Housing and Dainihon Printing, under the name of ‘Eli Power’ (hq: Tokyo) to produce Lithium Ion storage cells (batteries) to be used in housing solar heating systems; each company will be reportedly investing ¥600 [...]
February 26, 2008
National Debt
The Asahi Shinbun reports in its morning edition today on Japan’s national debt. The Finance Ministry reported on 25th February that in the last quarter of last year the country’s national debt rose, after remaining steady over the previous two quarters, to a record high of ¥838,005,000,000,000 (８３８兆５０億円). If this debt were divided equally amongst [...]
February 26, 2008
Japan & Middle East Sovereign Wealth Funds
Yoshiki Hatanaka, a senior consultant with Japan’s International Development Centre specializing in Middle Eastern economics, international oil, etc., writes in Sekai about Sovereign Wealth Funds. After providing an explanation of what SWFs are, an overview of the effect of the sub-prime crisis on them, and a brief analysis of Russian and Chinese SWFs, the [...]
February 25, 2008
Which Socio-Economic System? Opinion Poll Results
Jiro Yamaguchi, Hokkaido University Graduate School Professor, and Taro Miyamoto, (the same) report in Sekai this month on an Opinion Poll they conducted in an attempt to ascertain what kind of socio-economic system people in Japan really want.
February 22, 2008
Whaling
Atsushi Ishii (石井敦), Touhoku University East Asia Research Institute Professor, writes in the March edition of Sekai (世界) on the question of why the controversy over Scientific Whaling keeps raising its head – and offers an independent view of Japan’s whaling diplomacy.
February 21, 2008
Missile Defense
Military affairs journalist Shunji Taoka (田岡俊次) reports in Sekai (世界) (March ‘08) that the Japanese government have already paid over ¥1000000000000 (一兆円) (approx.$9.25 billion) to the US for a limited and still-experimental Patriot Missile Defense system.
