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☆ Japan's jobless rate falls to 2.5% in Nov
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO, Dec 27 (Reuters) - Japan's jobless rate fell to 2.5% in November, while the availability of jobs stayed at its highest level since March 2020, government data showed on Tuesday. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate matched economists' median forecast in a Reuters poll and was down from 2.6% in October. The jobs-to-applicants ratio stood at 1.35, labour ministry data showed, unchanged from October. For a table on the jobless data, go to the internal affairs ministry's website: http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/roudou/index.htm(Note: The jobs-to-applicants ratio and new job offers can be seen in Japanese on the labour ministry's website)Reporting by Kentaro Sugiyama, writing by Kaori Kaneko Editing by Chang-Ran KimOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Analysis: Kuroda's abrupt policy tweak opens door for bigger shift next year
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Waiting until next year would have forced the BOJ to combat intensifying market speculation of a near-term policy shift, or act when a deep U.S. recession could hit Japan's economy, they say. "When uncertainty is so high over the outlook for U.S. monetary policy, it probably wants to have a free hand on when next to act." POLITICS KEY TRIGGERThe abrupt timing of Tuesday's move also reflects growing political pressure for the BOJ to shift away from a policy narrowly focused on its 2% inflation target, the sources say. Hours before he met Kishida, Kuroda explained in parliament a framework on how the BOJ could exit ultra-easy policy in the future. Another dovish board member, Asahi Noguchi, also said earlier this month it "won't be surprising" for the BOJ to shift monetary policy.

☆ Japan PM appoints ex-health min Goto as next economy minister
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Kantaro Komiya | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Tuesday appointed former health minister Shigeyuki Goto as the next economy minister after the incumbent abruptly resigned amid criticism over his links to a controversial religious group. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Kishida said he picked Goto based on his "political experience, high presentation skills and passion for economic and social reforms." Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterYamagiwa became the first minister to resign from Kishida's government and the highest profile political casualty thus far from a widening scandal sparked by the killing of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in July. The suspect in the killing bore a grudge against the Unification Church, alleging it bankrupted his mother, and blamed Abe for promoting it. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Kentaro Sugiyama Editing by Chang-Ran KimOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterAfter the dollar rose to 151.94 yen , its highest since 1990, the intervention drove the greenback down more than 7 yen to a low of 144.50 yen. The Ministry of Finance (MOF) intervened in several stages from around 9:35 p.m. (1235 GMT), one source said. Japan's top currency diplomat, Masato Kanda, also declined to say whether the MOF had intervened. Many market players doubt whether Tokyo can reverse the yen's downtrend with solo intervention, even with Japan's $1.33 trillion in foreign reserves. Japan bought a record 3.6 trillion yen ($24 billion) in the September action, Tokyo money market brokerage firms estimated.

After the dollar rose to 151.94 yen , its highest since 1990, the intervention drove the Japanese currency down more than 7 yen to a low of 144.50 yen. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe Ministry of Finance (MOF) intervened in several stages from around 9:35 p.m. (1235 GMT), one source said. Speaking to reporters shortly after the yen spiked, Japan's top currency diplomat, Masato Kanda, declined to comment on whether the MOF had intervened, according to Jiji news agency. Many market players doubt whether Tokyo can reverse the yen's downtrend with solo intervention, even with Japan's $1.33 trillion in foreign reserves. Japan bought a record 3.6 trillion yen ($24 billion) in the September action, Tokyo money market brokerage firms estimated.

From Tuesday, Japan will reinstate visa-free travel to dozens of countries, ending some of world's strictest border controls to slow the spread of COVID-19. Just over half a million visitors have come to Japan so far in 2022, compared with a record 31.8 million in 2019. GHOST TOWNNarita Airport, Japan's biggest international airport some 70 kilometres from Tokyo, remains eerily quiet, with about half of its 260 shops and restaurants shuttered. Whether overseas visitors wear face masks and abide by other common infection controls in Japan is another concern. "From the start of the pandemic until now, we've had just a few foreign guests," said Tokyo innkeeper Sawa.

☆ Russia's invasion of Ukraine tramples U.N. charter: Japan PM
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida addresses the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. Headquarters in New York City, U.S., September 20, 2022. REUTERS/Eduardo MunozTOKYO, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine as destabilising the international order to its core and said the rule of law, not coercion by power, should prevail. "Russia's invasion of Ukraine is a conduct that tramples the philosophy and principles of the U.N. charter ... Kishida, who hails from Hiroshima, the first city to ever suffer an atomic bombing, also denounced the threat of nuclear weapons by Russia. Last month, a Russian diplomat said at the United Nations that the conflict in Ukraine did not warrant Russia's use of nuclear weapons, but Moscow could decide to use its nuclear arsenal in response to "direct aggression" by NATO countries over the invasion.

A man walks on the street in heavy rain and wind caused by Typhoon Nanmadol in Kagoshima on Japan's southernmost main island of Kyushu September 18, 2022, in this photo taken by Kyodo. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN JAPANTOKYO, Sept 19 (Reuters) - Typhoon Nanmadol brought ferocious winds and record rainfall to western Japan on Monday as one of the biggest storms to hit the country in years killed at least two people, disrupted transport and forced manufacturers to suspend operations. "We need to remain highly vigilant for heavy rains, gales, high waves and storm surges," a Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) official told a news conference. Up to 400 mm (15.75 inches) of rain was expected in central Japan's Tokai region, the nation's industrial heartland, over the next 24 hours, it said. Intermittent bouts of heavy rain lashed Tokyo but businesses in the capital were largely operating as normal.

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