Apr 7, 2012

Cautious economic outlook

The Bank of Japan’s tankan survey of business sentiment in March, whose results were released Monday, shows that major manufacturers are cautious about their business prospects. Their diffusion index (DI) for March — the percentage of firms optimistic about their business outlook minus the ...

Mar 23, 2012

Diversifying LNG supply sources

As Japan’s reliance on thermal power generation increases following the Fukushima nuclear crisis, and as the possible blockade of the Strait of Hormuz cannot be ruled out due to the conflict between the West and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear program, Japan must strive to ...

Feb 29, 2012

Iran outcome critical for Asia

by Michael Richardson

Can the United States and the European Union apply sanctions on Iran to curb its nuclear program without boosting oil prices and undermining economies in Asia as well as the West? The answer is particularly critical for Asia because it is has to bear ...

Feb 20, 2012

How the Arab Spring was hijacked

by Brahma Chellaney

A year after the Arab Spring came to symbolize the ascent of people’s power, hope has given way to a bleak sequel. The democratic awakening has fallen prey to murky geopolitics that has cleaved the Arab Spring into two parts, with the oil monarchies ...

Jan 31, 2012

A worrisome trade deficit

Japan’s trade balance went into the red in 2011 — the first since 1980 when soaring oil prices caused a trade deficit. But the current account balance is still in the black thanks to income generated by Japan’s overseas net assets amounting to some ...