ECONOMY – 7

The Bank of Japan has for years bought Japanese stocks as part of its huge massive monetary easing program to lift the country out of deflation and hit a 2 percent price-stability target. (Nikkei)

A new report shows that people in Japan are sitting on a record pile of financial assets. It credits a surge in stock prices as the main factor. (NHK)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin have concluded their meeting in Russia's Far East. They agreed to draw up a schedule of joint economic projects on the islands known as the Northern Territories. (NHK)

US President Donald Trump has pressured Japan to reduce its trade deficit with the US. (NHK)

Japan's main gateway for Asian tourists, Kansai International Airport, has remained shut down in the wake of Typhoon Jebi, threatening to disrupt the growing tourism that has been a key engine of the Osaka-area economy. (Nikkei)

The Japanese government's recent push for mobile phone carriers to lower their service fees has vexed the Bank of Japan, which fears another drag on already sluggish inflation. (Nikkei)

Typhoon Jebi forced Kansai airport to shut down on Tuesday. Concerns are mounting that if the closure continues, it could have a significant economic impact. (NHK)

Japan and China have agreed to step up their economic and financial cooperation. (NHK)

Japan's social security costs hit record high in fiscal 2016 of more than one trillion dollars as the population continues to age. (NHK)

The national health insurance program underwent a major reform at the start of fiscal 2018 that saw prefectures, rather than municipalities, begin managing the deficit-ridden system to improve its financial base. (Japan Times)