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☆ Japan's third-quarter GDP numbers 'a little better than what everybody thought,' professor says
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailJapan's third-quarter GDP numbers 'a little better than what everybody thought,' professor saysSayuri Shirai, professor of economics at Keio University, pointed out, however, that capital spending dropped and consumption is "still quite weak."

Persons: Sayuri Shirai Organizations: Keio University

☆ Japan's next prime minister is a career dissenter, but experts doubt he can govern as one
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-01 | by ( Dylan Butts | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Shigeru Ishiba, the man set to become the next leader of Japan, has made a career as a political outsider and opponent of party orthodoxy. However, some experts doubt that the former defense minister will manage to govern as such. The election ultimately came down to a runoff in which Ishiba defeated economic security minister Sanae Takaichi, who presented herself as the more Abenomics-aligned candidate. Japan's parliament is expected to formally vote Ishiba into the role Tuesday. He also reportedly suggested he would follow Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's approach of trying to pull Japan out of years of deflationary pressures.

Persons: Shigeru Ishiba, Shinzo Abe, Abe, Tobias Harris, Ishiba, Sanae Takaichi, he's, Sayuri Shirai, Takaichi, there's, Fumio, Shirai Organizations: Liberal Democratic Party, Bank of, LDP, Japan Foresight, Keio University Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Abenomics

☆ Time for Japan political leaders to have 'new thinking' about economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailIt's time for Japan's political leaders to have 'new thinking' about the country's economySayuri Shirai of Keio University and a former board member at the Bank of Japan says that Japan's next prime minister has to do "much more" about the country's environmental and climate policies.

Persons: Sayuri Shirai, Japan's Organizations: Keio University, Bank of Japan

☆ U.S. Allies See a Worrisome Turn in Presidential Immunity Ruling
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-03 | by ( Motoko Rich | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Allies of the United States had already been looking at the country’s upcoming election with anxiety. Now, with the United States Supreme Court granting an unprecedented expansion of executive power by giving presidents legal immunity, analysts in some of those countries are even more concerned about the reliability of American power. “We cannot maintain a stable national security relationship.”Mr. Komamura added that the Supreme Court’s decision now gave the perception of an American president who can operate above the law. “This may be rude to the U.S., but it is not that different from Xi Jinping in China,” he said. “The rule of law has become the rule of power.”

Persons: ”, Keigo Komamura, ” Mr, Komamura, Xi Organizations: United States, Keio University Locations: United States, Asia, Europe, Russia, North Korea, China, U.S, Tokyo

Washington CNN —President Joe Biden hosts Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio for a state visit Wednesday, including a crucial Oval Office meeting, reinforcing his commitment to bolstering vital partnerships in the Indo-Pacific amid a militarily and economically resurgent China. Over 70 items covering a wide array of critical sectors are expected to be announced as part of the bilateral meeting between Biden and Kishida, according to senior administration officials. “The idea of switching to a multilateral, lattice-like strategic architecture is to flip the script and isolate China,” this person said. Cherry Blossom diplomacyEven as the leaders plan to announce the lengthy list of defense and diplomatic agreements during the course of their visit, senior administration officials also sought to highlight a more symbolic takeaway. A senior Biden administration official called the original gift of cherry trees from Japan one of the most important diplomatic gifts in US history – second only to the Statue of Liberty, a present from France.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kishida Fumio, Biden, Kishida, Jake Sullivan, ”, Cherry, “, Donald Trump Organizations: Washington CNN, Japanese, Carnegie Mellon University, Keio University, University of Washington, Washington State, Tsukuba University, US Steel, American, White, National Park Service, Biden, of, Japan Locations: China, Japan, Australia, Tokyo, Philippines, North Korea, Kishida, Ukraine, United States, Washington, France

☆ Will Nikkei's record-breaking rally sustain even as Japan's economy sputters?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | In Ying-Shan-Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Fuji and Tokyo skyline Jackyenjoyphotography | Moment | Getty ImagesJapan's Nikkei stock index has been on a record-breaking spree on the back of robust earnings and investor-friendly measures. But the country's ailing economy has experts divided over this sustainability of this rally. Japan's corporate governance reforms have been a key driver for the country's stock markets, Momma said, while stressing that stock indexes do not necessarily represent the entire economy that includes SMEs and households. SMEs are a critical lever in the Japanese economy, accounting for 70% of national employment and 50% of the country's economic growth. "Spillover from the global boom of AI-related stocks certainly helped Nikkei," Momma said.

Persons: Kazuo Momma, Momma, Sayuri Shirai, pare, Shirai, Phillip Colmar MRB Organizations: Nikkei, Mizuho Research, CNBC, Bank of Japan, Nvidia, Technology, Stock, Keio University, Bank of America, Phillip Colmar MRB Partners Locations: Fuji, Tokyo, Germany, Japan, U.S, China

☆ Japan slipped into a technical recession. The Bank of Japan has to juggle supporting the yen and fragile growth
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Clement Tan | In Clemtan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda is under pressure to stem yen depreciation driven by the divergence between high U.S. interest rates and Japan's ultra easy policy. Yet, he is also constricted by high inflation that BOJ policymakers still deem unsustainable, even as it crimped domestic demand and tipped the economy into a technical recession. She previously served as a member of BOJ policy board from 2011 to 2016, helping to make monetary policy decisions. At its January meeting, the BOJ decided unanimously to keep short-term interest rates at -0.1%. BOJ policymakers have been cautious and fastidious with their primary task: reflating an economy that's been mired in decades of deflationary pressures.

Persons: Kazuo Ueda, Sayuri Shirai, CNBC's, dousing, BOJ, Shirai Organizations: Istock, Getty, Bank of Japan, Germany, Keio University Locations: Tokyo, Japan

☆ Bank of Japan is likely to make policy changes this spring, former BOJ board member says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailBank of Japan is likely to make policy changes this spring, former BOJ board member saysSayuri Shirai, professor at Keio University and former Bank of Japan board member, says that could involve ending negative interest rates, among other things.

Persons: Sayuri Shirai Organizations: Email Bank of, Keio University, Bank of Japan Locations: Email Bank of Japan

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese transport officials raided a Toyota-affiliated plant Tuesday after the company admitted to cheating on engine testing, as Toyota Motor Corp. reported it sold over 11 million vehicles in 2023 to retain its status as the world’s top car manufacturer. In April, a whistleblower exposed that Daihatsu Motor Corp., which makes small cars and is 100% owned by Toyota, had been cheating on its testing for decades. In 2022, Hino Motors, a truck maker that’s also part of the Toyota group, said it had systematically falsified emissions data dating back as far as 2003. But production has been halted on some of the models, including the 10 models affected by the latest cheating. Sato has acknowledged Toyota group companies need better communication and education about the importance of complying with rules.

Persons: Akio Toyoda, ” Toyoda, Toyoda, Sakichi Toyoda, Kiichiro Toyoda, Akio’s, Koji Sato, that’s, Sato, Daisuke Uchida, ” Uchida, “, ” ___ Yuri Kageyama Organizations: TOKYO, Toyota, Toyota Motor Corp, Toyota Industries Corp, Lexus, Volkswagen AG, Reporters, Daihatsu Motor Corp, Hino Motors, Nikkei, Toyota Industries, Cruiser, General Motors Co, Pontiac, Keio University Locations: Hekinan, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, Nagoya, Tokyo, Europe, East, Africa, Asia, North America, United States, California

Sam Altman, CEO of ChatGPT maker OpenAI, attends an open dialogue with students at Keio University in Tokyo, Japan June 12, 2023. The nonprofit board overseeing the maker of the popular ChatGPT chatbot sent shock waves through Silicon Valley on Friday by abruptly firing Chief Executive Sam Altman. The trust that controls the candymaker agreed in 2016 to replace certain board members after the Pennsylvania attorney general challenged the trust's spending. Under OpenAI's bylaws, only directors can remove or elect new board members. Board members can sue other board members, either directly or on behalf of the organization, for failing to exercise their duties, said Reid.

Persons: Sam Altman, OpenAI, Issei Kato, chatbot, Satya Nadella, Alexander Reid, Darryll Jones, OpenAI's, Reid, Ilya Sutskever, Altman, Greg Brockman, Sutskever, Anthropic, Jody Godoy, Tom Hals, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Keio University, REUTERS, Microsoft, Hershey Co, Florida, M University, U.S . Internal Revenue Service, Reuters, OpenAI, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Silicon Valley, Pennsylvania, U.S, New York

[1/2] FILE PHOTO: People hold a rally to protest against Israel's attack on Gaza near the Israeli embassy in Tokyo, Japan October 16, 2023. From the beginning of the conflict, Japan has sought a "balanced" response, in part due to its diverse diplomatic interests in the region and its dependency on the Middle East for oil. A spokesperson for Japan's foreign ministry said it was expected that countries have different positions, but denied that G7 members were struggling to find common ground. A statement issued by G7 trade ministers from a meeting in Osaka late last month did not mention the war. Other group members have issued joint statements.

Persons: Issei Kato, Thomas Gomart, Koichiro Tanaka, Hideaki Shinoda, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, It's, Kunihiko Miyake, Tim Kelly, Yoshifumi, John Irish, Andrew Gray, Andreas Rinke, David Brunstromm, Steve Scherer, Miral Organizations: REUTERS, Japan, European Union, French Institute of International Relations, Israel, Health, Hamas, Tokyo's Keio University, United Nations, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Canon Institute for Global Studies, Washington D.C, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Tokyo, Japan, TOKYO, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, United, Israel, United States, Osaka, Russia, Ukraine, China, Iran, Paris, Brussels, Berlin, Washington, Ottawa

☆ Japan trade data dims growth prospects as China leads decline in Asia exports
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Japan posted its first monthly decline in exports in more than 2 years, as weaker demand in its biggest trading partners in China and the rest of Asia dimmed prospects for growth in the world's third-largest economy. Exports fell 0.3% in July from a year earlier for the first time since February 2021, according to provisional data released Thursday by Japan's Ministry of Finance. Exports to Asia plunged almost 37%, while those to China contracted 13.4% in an eighth consecutive monthly decline, underscoring the magnitude of the slowdown in the mainland. Japan's domestic demand showed no meaningful improvement, underscored by imports that slumped 13.5% in July. A surge in imports had propelled a provisional 6% growth in Japan in the second quarter, though economists are expecting global demand to weaken in the second half of the year.

Persons: Sayuri Shirai Organizations: Japan's Ministry of Finance, Exports, Keio University, CNBC Locations: Japan, China, Asia, U.S, Europe

☆ Professor discusses what's behind Japan's weak exports
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailProfessor discusses what's behind Japan's weak exportsSayuri Shirai, economics professor at Keio University in Tokyo, discusses Japan's trade data for July.

Persons: Shirai Organizations: Keio University Locations: Tokyo

☆ Still 'too early' for the Bank of Japan to change policy, says professor
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailStill 'too early' for the Bank of Japan to change policy, says professorSayuri Shirai of Keio University discusses Japan's latest inflation numbers and their implications for the Bank of Japan's policy decisions.

Persons: Sayuri Shirai Organizations: Bank of Japan, Keio University, Bank of

That initiative follows a visit to Japan by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in January when he said the lessons China was learning from Ukraine could influence its decisions. NATO documents have begun to reflect concern about China, East Asia and the Indo-Pacific, but Japan needs to deepen its awareness of those issues, a Japanese official involved in discussions about NATO ties said. Diplomats from two European NATO countries who spoke to Reuters said unease in the alliance about a Tokyo office went beyond France. Another Japanese official involved in preparations for Kishida's NATO visit said the idea of a NATO office in Japan had nothing to do with China, but that is how it became framed, and each NATO country has its own relations with China. Under Yoon, South Korea has set up a liaison office with NATO in Brussels and has embraced a call for unity among like-minded countries.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, ”, Michito Tsuruoka, Kishida, Jens Stoltenberg, Emmanuel Macron's, Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon, Anthony Albanese, We’ll, Albanese, Sakura Murakami, Tim Kelly, John Irish, Josh Smith, Praveen Menon Organizations: NATO, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Keio University, NATO's, Diplomats, Reuters, Japanese, SYDNEY South, Australian, Asia Pacific, Ukraine, Sky News, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Lithuania, Ukraine, Asia, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, U.S, Europe, Russia, NATO, East Asia, China, Taiwan, North Korea, Lithuania's, Vilnius, Tokyo, France, Brussels, Danish, SEOUL, Poland, Paris, Seoul, Sydney

☆ Too early for Bank of Japan to decide on policy changes, professor says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailToo early for Bank of Japan to decide on policy changes, professor saysSayuri Shirai of Keio University says it's "a bit too early" for Japan's central bank to decide whether it should make any changes to its monetary policy at this stage.

Persons: Sayuri Shirai, it's Organizations: Bank of Japan, Keio University

☆ OpenAI CEO says 'optimistic' on global AI coordination
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Sam Nussey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/6] Sam Altman, CEO of ChatGPT maker OpenAI, attends an open dialogue with students at Keio University in Tokyo, Japan June 12, 2023. REUTERS/Issei KatoTOKYO, June 12 (Reuters) - The CEO of ChatGPT maker OpenAI on Monday said a tour of capital cities had left him "quite optimistic" about prospects for global coordination on artificial intelligence (AI). Altman visited Japan in April, meeting with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and saying he was considering opening an office in country. "All of the conversations have progressed quite well," Altman said on Monday without providing detail. Reporting by Sam Nussey and Tom Bateman; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sam Altman, OpenAI, Issei Kato TOKYO, Altman, Fumio Kishida, Sam Nussey, Tom Bateman, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Keio University, REUTERS, Microsoft Corp, Regulators, European, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, United States, Singapore, Indonesia, Australia

☆ Japan's labor market is good but 'not extremely tight,' professor says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailJapan's labor market is good but 'not extremely tight,' professor saysSayuri Shirai of Keio University says there's been some decline in job offers, which suggests that the country's economic activity is "not very strong."

☆ This award-winning chef has a philosophy that can be applied to any career
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Goh Chiew Tong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Chef Shinobu Namae was awarded the "Icon" award for his contributions to the food world at the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2023. The 50-year-old chef tells CNBC Make It about his culinary philosophy and what motivates him to keep learning. Shinobu Namae Chef, L'Effervescence"That is the starting point for my job as a chef: If we do not care about ingredients, we don't cook well. If we don't care about our staff, we don't have a strong team and we will be in trouble," Namae said. "If we don't care about the customer — when a chef just cooks what he likes or she likes … the business won't be successful."

☆ Next Bank of Japan chief is unlikely to change his predecessor's policies 'for a while': Professor
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailNext Bank of Japan chief is unlikely to change his predecessor's policies 'for a while': ProfessorSayuri Shirai of Keio University, who served as a member of the Policy Board of the Bank of Japan from 2011 to 2016, explains why it would be "contradictory to his commitment" if upcoming Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda does "anything more toward normalization."

"As the United States deepens its relationship with the Philippines, it's important for regional security that Japan join in," a Japanese defence ministry source with knowledge of internal discussions on national security told Reuters. At a press briefing last week, Neil Imperial, the Philippines Assistant Secretary for Asian and Pacific Affairs, said Marcos wanted to "facilitate closer defence, security, political, economic and people-to-people ties" while in Japan. That sentiment is shared in Tokyo, which has been deepening security ties with nations that view China with concern. Those deals provide a framework for how Marcos and Kishida could also forge deeper military ties to counter their common adversary, say experts. "The Philippines is a critical security partner for Japan," said Narushige Michishita, a professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Tokyo.

☆ NATO chief stresses importance of Indo-Pacific partners amid security tensions
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Sakura Murakami | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Feb 1 (Reuters) - NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday stressed the importance of NATO's working closely with partners in the Indo-Pacific, saying Europe could not ignore what happens in East Asia because the global security is interconnected. "The war in Ukraine demonstrates how security is interconnected. It demonstrates that what happens in Europe has a consequence for East Asia, and what happens in East Asia matters to Europe," he said, adding that "the idea China doesn't matter for NATO doesn't work." Before his stop in Japan, Stoltenberg visited South Korea and urged Seoul to increase military support to Ukraine, giving similar warnings about rising tensions with China. Russia, which calls its invasion of Ukraine a "special operation", has repeatedly cast NATO's expansion as a threat to its security.

☆ BOJ's 2% inflation target can be tweaked to 'range', deputy governor candidate says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Kantaro Komiya | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Jan 11 (Reuters) - The Bank of Japan's (BOJ) 2% inflation target can be modified into a "range" to sustain monetary policy flexibility amid possibly higher inflation compared to pre-COVID times, former board member Sayuri Shirai said on Wednesday. Shirai, widely seen as a candidate to become deputy governor at the central bank this spring, also said there should be a review of Japan's monetary policy over the past 10 years. "Given the chance inflation may stay elevated compared to pre-pandemic, we must be careful about abolishing the 2% inflation target and I think making it a range is one possibility." The BOJ, long preoccupied with reviving price growth to avert a risk of deflation, has been an outlier among central banks this year. The new BOJ leadership after the incumbent governor Haruhiko Kuroda's term ends in April should conduct a policy review, Shirai said, as she had the impression the central bank's communication with markets had become slightly "complex".

☆ Japan's inflation will probably slow down in 2023, says professor
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailJapan's inflation will probably slow down in 2023, says professorSayuri Shirai of Keio University says inflation in the country is about to peak.

☆ As regional threats rise, Japan eases defense-only strategy
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

With China, North Korea and Russia directly to its west and north, Japan “faces the severest and most complicated national security environment since the end of the war,” the strategy said, referring to World War II. Japan’s defense buildup has long been considered a sensitive issue at home and in the region, especially for Asian victims of Japanese wartime atrocities. Rapid advancement of missiles have become “realistic threats” in the region, making interception by existing missile defense systems more difficult, the strategy said. North Korea fired more than 30 ballistic missiles this year, including one that flew over Japan. Japan needs standoff, or long-range missiles, to strike back and prevent further attacks “as an unavoidable minimum defensive measure,” the document stated.

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