On the back of improved sales and profits, companies should do their part to put the Japanese economy back on a growth path by increasing workers' wages.
The government and the Bank of Japan set the stage for this year's economic upturn with fiscal and monetary steps, and the subsequent fall of the yen aided the performance of major firms. It's now the turn of the private sector to do what it can to boost consumer spending and end deflation.
The combined April-September net profits of roughly 850 firms listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange increased 2.5 times from a year ago, according to a tally by SMBC Nikko Securities. Net profits rose 3.2 times in the manufacturing sector, with the automobiles and other transport equipment makers particularly aided by brisk sales and foreign exchange gains.