| Apr 29 | Life insurers shift to foreign bonds |
 The nation's four major life insurance companies are set to shift away from investing in government bonds, whose interest rates are expected to fall, to foreign bonds that are expected to produce higher yields. (Yomiuri  ) |
| Apr 28 | An avian flu outbreak in Japan could kill 'Abenomics' |
 No one has ever fully explained why, in 2002-3, the virulent pathogen known as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) ran rampant in mainland China (5,328 cases, 349 deaths) but only infected four people in South Korea, with no fatalities, and none in Japan. (Japan Times ) |
| Apr 28 | Dissent over inflation predictions |
 Bank of Japan Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda and economists in the private sector are far apart on their views of whether the central bank can meet its inflation target in two years. (Yomiuri ) |
| Apr 27 | Japan inflation to hit 2 pct in latter half of next 3 years -BOJ |
 Japanese inflation is likely to rise to around 2 percent during the latter half of the coming three-year period covered in the Bank of Japan's latest semi-annual economic and price outlook, the central bank said on Friday. (Reuters ) |
| Apr 27 | Old tunnel, bridge fixes could cost 5.4 trillion yen |
| Repairing and rebuilding aging bridges and expressway tunnels will likely cost at least 5.4 trillion yen over the next 100 years, three highway operators have said. (Yomiuri) |
| Apr 26 | ADB's new president is former Finance vice minister of Japan |
 Asian Development Bank (ADB) has elected Takehiko Nakao, Japan's former Vice Minister of Finance for International Affairs, as new president effective April 28. (gmanetwork.com ) |
| Apr 26 | Japan consumer prices fall for 5th month in a row |
 Japan's key retail-price gauge deflated in March from a year earlier, even as the index rose compared to February's levels, the Finance Ministry reported Friday. (MarketWatch ) |
| Apr 26 | Japan's 'wall of money' proves elusive for global markets |
 Japanese investors are repatriating funds from around the world at an accelerating pace, dashing hopes that stimulus from the Bank of Japan will flood global asset markets with newly-printed money. (telegraph.co.uk ) |
| Apr 24 | Groser: Address to Japan National Press Club |
 New Zealand is the formal administrator, or legal 'Depositary' of the TPP Agreement. This reflects the real negotiating history of TPP, which started as a strategic decision by Singapore and NZ to negotiate a bilateral FTA in the 1990s with precisely this concept - a wider Asia Pacific FTA - in mind. That led eventually to P4 and, in turn, to TPP today. (scoop.co.nz ) |
| Apr 24 | Even Abenomics can't ignore Japan debt |
 Investors in Japan are cheering the implementation of "Abenomics," a fresh round of government spending and drastic monetary easing designed to end 15 years of deflation. (CNN ) |
| Apr 23 | 'Abenomics' changing opinions and skirt lengths in Japan |
 Most Japanese treat Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's new economic program, dubbed "Abenomics," with a heavy dose of skepticism. (CNN ) |
| Apr 23 | Yen weakens to upper 99 range in Tokyo |
 On the Tokyo foreign exchange market on Monday, the yen weakened to the upper 99 range against the dollar, following a weekend meeting of the Group of 20 financial leaders in Washington. (NHK ) |
| Apr 23 | Timing the key in Japan's massive gamble to revive the economy |
 After two "lost decades", Japan has begun a risky monetary gamble. Abenomics has the potential to make or break Japanese savings, the Asian century and global recovery. (South China Morning Post ) |
| Apr 22 | APEC agrees on importance of FTAs as Japan's entry in TPP talks OK'd |
 Trade ministers from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum agreed Sunday to promote free trade agreements in the Asia-Pacific region, just a day after Japan's entry into negotiations for a free trade pact involving many of the APEC economies was approved. (Kyodo ) |
| Apr 22 | IMF to examine effects of exit from monetary easing: Lagarde |
 International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde said Saturday that the IMF will examine possible effects from advanced economies' future exit from their current ultraeasy monetary policies on emerging economies and the global capital market. (Jiji Press ) |
| Apr 21 | Japan wins approval from member countries to join Trans-Pacific trade talks |
 Japan won approval from participating countries to join talks on a U.S.-led Asia Pacific free trade agreement, central to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's plans to open the economy to more competition and revive growth. (Reuters ) |
| Apr 20 | Finance ministers endorse Japan's easy money |
 Finance ministers from the world's largest economies endorsed Japan's recently launched easy-money policy Friday, downplaying previous concerns that the strategy could give Japan an unfair trade advantage. (USA Today ) |
| Apr 19 | Yen drops as Japan says no G20 opposition to BOJ action |
 The yen fell on Friday as macro funds resumed selling after Japan said the Group of 20 accepted its stance that its aggressive monetary expansion was aimed at beating deflation and not at competitive devaluation. (Reuters ) |
| Apr 19 | Kuroda says G-20 nations understand Japan's reasons for easing |
 Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said that Group of 20 nations understand the case for Japan's unprecedented monetary stimulus and indicated that he expects no censure for the yen's slide. (Bloomberg ) |
| Apr 18 | More early wins for Abenomics, but Japan activity lags |
 A small rise in Japanese exports, improving business confidence and surging investment flows demonstrated early successes for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's radical pro-growth strategy, but firms have yet to see signs of a sustained boost to economic activity. (Reuters ) |
| Apr 18 | Japan decides on special zones embodying Abe's economic policy |
 The Japanese government decided Wednesday to set up special economic zones mainly in the metropolitan areas of Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya, where drastic deregulation and preferential tax measures will be implemented in line with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's economic policy, dubbed Abenomics. (Jiji Press ) |
| Apr 18 | Japan logs $3.7bn trade deficit in March |
 Japan's trade deficit more than quadrupled on year to $3.7 billion in March, government data shows. (SBS ) |
| Apr 18 | Kuroda's skills to be tested at G-20 / BOJ's policy aimed toward deflation, not exchange rate |
 New Bank of Japan Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda will face a test of his ability to persuade at a meeting of the Group of 20 finance ministers and central bank governors in Washington, where he will have to explain that Japan's drastic monetary easing policy is designed to end deflation, not target exchange rates. (Yomiuri ) |
| Apr 18 | Consumer confidence highest in nearly 6 years |
 Japan's consumer confidence in March improved for the 3rd straight month to hit the highest level in almost 6 years.
(NHK ) |
| Apr 18 | 2-point rate rise to inflict 12.5-t.-yen losses on Japan banks: BOJ |
| Banks in Japan including "shinkin" banks are estimated to suffer losses totaling 12.5 trillion yen from a uniform rise of 2 percentage points in short- and long-term interest rates, the Bank of Japan said in a report Wednesday. (Jiji Press) |
| Apr 17 | IMF lifts 2013 Japan growth forecast to 1.6%, citing BOJ easing steps |
 The International Monetary Fund sharply raised its economic growth estimate for Japan in a report released Tuesday, saying the central banks' new monetary easing policy will provide substantial stimulus. (Japan Times ) |
| Apr 17 | Japan, EU kick off EPA talks |
 Japan and the European Union have launched negotiations on concluding an economic partnership agreement. (Yomiuri ) |
| Apr 17 | As global price slumps, 'Abenomics' risks drive Japan gold bugs |
 Japan's demand for gold, amid a global slump that saw prices tumble around $125 an ounce on Monday, owes partly to the declining value of the yen against the dollar. (foxbusiness.com ) |
| Apr 16 | Japan to resume issuance of inflation-linked govt bonds |
 Japan's Finance Ministry said Monday it has decided to resume issuance of inflation-linked government bonds after a hiatus since autumn 2008, when the collapse of U.S. investment bank Lehman Brothers triggered the global financial crisis. (Jiji Press ) |
| Apr 16 | Japan lowers yen loan rates |
| The Japanese government decided Monday to make Japanese yen loans easier to use by adopting measures including lower interest rates, aiming to support infrastructure exports by Japanese firms. (Jiji Press) |
| Apr 15 | BOJ lifts views on all regional economies amid recovery hopes |
 The Bank of Japan simultaneously upgraded its assessments Monday for all of the country's nine regional economies for the first time since July 2012, with growing hopes of economic recovery yielding an increase in household and corporate spending, boosting domestic demand. (Kyodo ) |
| Apr 15 | BOJ easing steps to drastically change market expectations: Kuroda |
 Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said Monday the central bank's new monetary easing steps are expected to "drastically change the expectations of markets and economic entities" about the country overcoming nearly 15 years of deflation. (Kyodo ) |
| Apr 14 | Nation's TPP entry a double-edged sword |
 Japan's participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade negotiations is expected to help the country propel its growth strategy, but it has cost the country several concessions in the auto and insurance sectors. (Yomiuri ) |
| Apr 14 | US warns Japan, South Korea on currencies |
 The United States on Friday said China's currency remains "significantly undervalued" and warned Japan and South Korea against weakening their currencies to gain a trade advantage. (Economic Times ) |
| Apr 11 | BOJ's Kuroda sees no need for more easing steps |
 The Bank of Japan is not considering taking additional monetary easing steps on a continuous basis, Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said in an interview on Wednesday. (Jiji Press ) |
| Apr 11 | For Japan's loan-starved banks, BOJ's big bang carries new risk |
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| Apr 10 | Bank of Japan's Kuroda signals ready to keep stimulus more than two years |
 Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said on Wednesday that the bank was resolved to keep printing money for as long as needed to achieve 2 percent inflation, signalling his readiness to offer further stimulus or maintain an ultra-easy policy beyond two years if meeting the target by then proves difficult. (Reuters ) |
| Apr 10 | ADB projects Japan growth at 1.2 pct in 2013 |
 The Japanese economy will grow by 1.2 pct in 2013 and 1.4 pct in 2014, the Asian Development Bank forecasts in a report released Tuesday. (Jiji Press ) |
| Apr 09 | Japan: US soon to approve it joining TPP talks |
 Japanese officials say the United States, the largest economy in Trans-Pacific Partnership trade talks, is set to approve Japan joining the free trade negotiation. (NHK ) |
| Apr 09 | Mexico backs Japan's participation in TPP talks |
 Japan won the support of Mexico Monday for its bid to join Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade negotiations. (Jiji Press ) |
| Apr 09 | Moody's: BOJ move won't solve fundamental problems |
| Credit ratings agency Moody's Investors Service says the Bank of Japan's bold monetary easing will buy time, but will not eliminate the country's structural economic problems. (NHK) |
| Apr 09 | Merits, demerits of 'Abenomics' emerging with yen plunging |
 Japanese economic data have started to clarify the merits and demerits of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's economic policies, with the value of the yen declining sharply. (Kyodo ) |
| Apr 08 | BOJ starts gov't bond buying under new easing program |
 The Bank of Japan on Monday started the process of buying 1.2 trillion yen worth of long-term government bonds under its new monetary easing program to pump large amounts of money into the financial market. (Kyodo ) |
| Apr 08 | Japan logs 1st current account surplus in 4 months |
 Japan logged its first current account surplus in four months in February, with profits from the securities investments income account growing to outweigh the trade deficit, government data showed Monday. (Kyodo ) |
| Apr 08 | Lagarde welcomes Japan's big stimulus |
 Christine Lagarde has welcomed the huge monetary stimulus plan unveiled by Japan and says it will help to boost global growth at a time when the outlook is already starting to improve. (CNN ) |
| Apr 08 | Japan to use middle-aged workers for local revitalization |
| Japan's internal affairs ministry will launch a program of sending middle-aged company employees in the three major metropolitan areas to smaller cities to help revitalize local economies. (Jiji Press) |
| Apr 08 | Protecting yourself from Japanese insanity |
 I'd hate to say it but this time really is different. Never before has there been coordinated global money printing of the scale of today. Ever. Japan intends to double its money in circulation in just two years. This is incredible stuff. (Forbes ) |
| Apr 06 | Soros calls Japan's aggressive stimulus plan 'dangerous' |
 Thursday's announcement by the Bank of Japan to deepen its aggressive economy stimulus plan was a sensation for the markets. George Soros called the move "a very daring undertaking," anticipating capital flight as the yen falls. (rt.com ) |
| Apr 05 | Japan's central bank governor shows he can walk the walk as well as talk the talk |
 The Bank of Japan means business. That was the clear message to be drawn from the debut of the bank's new governor, Haruhiko Kuroda, brought in with the specific task of lifting the world's third biggest economy out of deflation. (guardian.co.uk ) |
| Apr 05 | Revitalizing Japan's politics and economy the key to Japanese foreign policy and regional stability |
 Looking at East Asia through Japan's eyes, there are a number of challenges that, if not managed carefully, risk spoiling the future stability and prosperity of Japan and the entire region. (East Asia Forum) |