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April 27, 2024
 

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Leika Kihara
For Leika Kihara's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 9, 2023
Lower House approves Kazuo Ueda as next BOJ chief, with Upper House to vote Friday
Approval by the two chambers has been seen as a done deal as the ruling coalition holds majority seats in both houses.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 2, 2023
Ex-BOJ governor Shirakawa urges re-examination of monetary framework and inflation targets
By allowing inflation to overshoot their targets, central banks 'forgot the difficulty of taking away the monetary punch bowl' and failed to tighten policy soon enough, he said.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 28, 2023
Incoming BOJ deputy head brushes aside near-term tweak to easy policy
Shinichi Uchida suggested that any review of the central bank's policy framework could take about a year.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 17, 2023
Bank of Japan to launch pilot program for issuing digital yen
The move follows two years of experiments the BOJ has been conducting to decide whether to issue a so-called central bank digital currency.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 17, 2023
With BOJ pick, Kishida strikes political balance and draws line under Abenomics
Having an academic helm the BOJ is unprecedented in Japan, where the job traditionally rotates between a central banker and an official from the Finance Ministry.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy / ANALYSIS
Feb 11, 2023
Kuroda's shock therapy leaves Bank of Japan with mixed legacy
Bank of Japan Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda achieved price rises after decades of deflation and anemic growth but without engineering durable expansion fueled by domestic demand.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / ANALYSIS
Feb 10, 2023
Japan's debt time bomb to complicate BOJ's exit from dovish policies
A flurry of big spending packages and ballooning social welfare costs for a rapidly aging population have left Japan with a debt pile 263% the size of its economy.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 10, 2023
Japan's wholesale inflation stays elevated as pressure on BOJ grows
While the pace of increase slowed from the previous month's 10.5% rise, the data highlighted the cost-push pressure companies were facing for a range of products.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 3, 2023
BOJ governor contender Hiroshi Nakaso takes up APEC advisory council post
A career central banker who served as deputy governor until 2018, Nakaso has repeatedly warned of the drawbacks of prolonged monetary easing.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 30, 2023
Key panel urges BOJ to make 2% inflation target long-term goal
The re-defining of the price target must be made in a new policy accord between the government and the central bank that would replace the one crafted in 2013, the panel said.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 27, 2023
Consumer inflation in Tokyo hits near 42-year high, keeping BOJ under pressure
The data heightens the chance that inflation will stay well above the Bank of Japan's 2% target in coming months.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 26, 2023
BOJ policymakers divided on wage and inflation outlook, meeting summary shows
The divergence in views highlight the challenge policymakers face in determining whether the recent cost-driven rise in inflation will shift to one backed by robust demand and higher wages.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 17, 2023
New BOJ nominees likely to be presented to parliament on Feb. 10
The nominees, if approved by both houses of parliament, will succeed BOJ Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda and his two deputies, Masayoshi Amamiya and Masazumi Wakatabe.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 16, 2023
Japan's sharp wholesale price rise heaps pressure on BOJ's ultraeasy policy
While global commodity prices slipped, companies continued to pass on past increases in raw material costs for goods such as auto parts and electricity equipment.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 28, 2022
BOJ debated rising wages and fading deflation risks at December meeting
The increased attention to mounting inflationary pressures could keep alive market expectations the BOJ will phase out massive stimulus next year.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 26, 2022
BOJ’s Kuroda dismisses near-term chance of exiting easy policy
Kuroda said the decision last week to widen the allowance band around its yield target was aimed at enhancing the effect of its ultraeasy policy.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 19, 2022
BOJ must eye rate hike and shift to more flexible policy, ex-deputy governor says
Markets are rife with speculation the BOJ could tweak yield curve control when Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda's term ends in April.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 12, 2022
Japan's wholesale inflation near steady at 9.3% as commodity prices ease
While food and energy costs continued to rise, the data may offer some relief for Japan's economy, which relies almost entirely on imports for fuel and raw material.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 11, 2022
Bank of Japan may ditch yield cap next year as inflation perks up
The Bank of Japan must guard against the risk of inflation well exceeding its expectations, says Takeo Hoshi, an academic with close ties to incumbent central bank policymakers.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 10, 2022
BOJ's Kuroda lays out framework for future exit from easy policy
Kuroda brushed aside the chance of a near-term interest rate hike, stressing that the BOJ must continue to underpin a fragile economic recovery with loose monetary policy.
New JAL chief concerned about yen’s ‘excessive’ weakness
Mitsuko Tottori became Japan Airlines’ first female CEO on April 1, having risen through the ranks as a flight attendant and heading the flight attendant and customer experience divisions.
Town to block view of Mount Fuji in response to overtourism
The town government of Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, decided to set up a 2.5-meter-high screen to prevent tourists from taking pictures of Mount Fuji looming behind a convenience store.
Yen inches closer to intervention point as BOJ meeting starts
The rate of the yen against the U.S. dollar is displayed in the trading room at foreign exchange brokerage Gaitame.com in Tokyo on Thursday.
Princess Aiko makes debut at imperial garden party
Princess Aiko attends an imperial garden party in Tokyo on Tuesday.
'So hot you can't breathe': Extreme heat hits the Philippines
A pedestrian cools himself with a folding hand fan as he waits for a ride along a road in Manila on Wednesday, as extreme heat hit the Philippines.
Casa del Cibo: A thriving jewel born from Tohoku’s harsh past
When chef Ryohei Ikemi moved to Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, and opened Casa del Cibo in 2011, it was the first proper Italian restaurant in the city.
Tokyo's Koto Ward by-election a race unlike any other
Natsumi Sakai, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan’s candidate and one of four female candidates running in the by-election, touts her experience as a cancer survivor and midwife as having prepared her to tackle issues that women currently face.
Town to block view of Mount Fuji in response to overtourism
The town government of Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, decided to set up a 2.5-meter-high screen to prevent tourists from taking pictures of Mount Fuji looming behind a convenience store.
Top U.S. and China diplomats talk tough amid warnings of new ‘downward spiral’
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Friday
Kyotographie's strong 12th edition shines light into the margins
Yassine Alaoui Ismaili, who goes by Yoriyas, turned to photography, shooting motion while in motion himself, after an injury forced him to give up his career as a professional breakdancer.

Podcast

From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.
[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

Longform

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.
The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores
By Alex K.T. Martin

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