Despite its demographic problems, Japan has room to aim at higher growth by pushing harder on reforms, opening up more to foreign capital and making better use of unused female labor, visiting journalists from Britain told a recent symposium in Tokyo.
Japan is now in its longest postwar period of uninterrupted economic growth, with major firms reporting record profits. But some of the journalists noted that the boom is taking place amid rapid worldwide growth, and warned that some of the favorable conditions for Japan — including the yen's weakness — may not last.
Five members of British media organizations were speaking at the May 25 symposium, organized by Keizai Koho Center under the theme, "How to live with globalization? — Japan and the U.K. viewed by British journalists." They took part in the event at the end of a weeklong series of exchanges with Japanese business executives, professors, government officials and lawmakers.