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☆ Japan's sharp wholesale price rise heaps pressure on BOJ's ultra-easy policy
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The 10.2% year-on-year rise in the corporate goods price index (CGPI), which measures the price companies charge each other for their goods and services, exceeded a median market forecast for a 9.5% gain, Bank of Japan data showed. "While inflationary pressure from imports is easing, firms are still passing on rising input costs at home," said Takeshi Minami, chief economist at Norinchukin Research Institute. "But such price pressure will gradually weaken with commodity inflation peaking out, and major economies likely to stagnate in the first half of this year," he said. For 2022, wholesale prices rose 9.7% on average from the previous year, hitting a record high since comparable data became available in 1981. Data due out on Friday is expected to show Japan's core consumer prices rose 4.0% in December, double the BOJ's 2% target and a fresh 41-year-high, in a sign of rising living costs for households, according to a Reuters poll.

☆ Bank of Japan could announce major policy shift this week as bond yields top limit again
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Jihye Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

This picture taken on October 27, 2022 shows pedestrians walking in front of the Bank of Japan (BoJ) headquarters in Tokyo. The move would come less than a month after the Bank of Japan caught markets off guard by widening its tolerance range for 10-year Japanese government bond yields. Indeed, Nikkei reported Monday that the Bank of Japan purchased JGBs worth more than 2 trillion yen ($15.6 billion) after the nation's 10-year bond yield curve topped 0.5% for two consecutive sessions. While the central bank leaving interest rates unchanged would be positive for Japanese stocks, BofA said a removal of its yield curve control policy could lead to sharp declines. HSBC, meanwhile, expects the central bank to announce further widening of the yield curve control tolerance band instead of abolishing the policy altogether.

☆ Tokyo core CPI seen up 3.8% in December, new 40-year-high
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Kantaro Komiya | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The core consumer price index (CPI) in Tokyo, a leading indicator of nationwide inflation trends, was expected to have climbed 3.8% in December from a year earlier on widening retail price rises, according to the median estimate of 16 economists. The central bank jolted the market last month with a surprise tweak to its long-term yield cap, allowing rates to rise more. Household spending likely dropped 0.5% in November from the previous month, while it was forecast to have risen 0.5% from the same month a year earlier, according to the poll. The government will release the Tokyo CPI data and household spending data on Jan. 10 at 8:30 a.m. (Jan. 9, 2330 GMT). The current account data is due on Jan. 12 at 8:50 a.m. (Jan. 11, 2350 GMT).

☆ Lasers revealed 5 ancient civilizations that were hiding in plain sight
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Paola Rosa-Aquino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Archeologists beam lasers from the sky to unearth ancient settlements hiding in plain sight. State-of-the-art laser technology is transforming archaeology by creating 3D renderings of ruins. A hidden 2,000-year-old Mayan civilization in northern GuatemalaResearchers found a 2,000-year-old Mayan civilization in northern Guatemala using LiDAR. 61,000 previously unknown structures hidden under the dense Guatemalan jungleLiDAR laser technology found ancient cities with more than 60,000 structures in Guatemala. An overgrown ancient civilization buried in the Bolivian AmazonA LiDAR image of an ancient Amazonian urban network in what is now Bolivia.

☆ Japan to deploy missile defence unit in Yonaguni, near Taiwan - Jiji
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO, Dec 27 (Reuters) - Japan's Ministry of Defence will deploy a surface-to-air missile defence unit in Yonaguni Island, the country's westernmost island, near Taiwan, Jiji news reported on Tuesday. The instalment of missile troops is part of a plan to expand a Ground Self-Defense Force camp on the island, part of Okinawa prefecture, to reinforce defence of Japan's southwestern islands, Jiji quoted ministry spokesperson Takeshi Aoki as saying. Earlier this month, Japan unveiled its biggest military build-up since World War Two with a $320 billion plan that would buy missiles capable of striking China as regional tensions and Russia's Ukraine invasion stoke war fears. read moreReporting by Kantaro Komiya Editing by Chang-Ran KimOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Japan’s consumer inflation hits fresh 40-year high
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Japan’s core consumer inflation hit a fresh four-decade high as companies continued to pass on rising costs to households, data showed, a sign price hikes were broadening and could keep the central bank under pressure to whittle down massive stimulus. Japan’s core consumer price index (CPI), which excludes volatile fresh food but includes energy costs, rose 3.7% in November from a year earlier, data showed Friday, matching market forecasts and perking up from a 3.6% gain in October. “We’ll likely see a rush in price hikes next year that could be more intense than this year,” as companies face rising labor and distribution costs, Teikoku Data Bank said. We can’t rule out the chance of a big overshoot in inflation,” one member was quoted as saying in the October minutes. The CPI data will likely be among key factors the BOJ will scrutinize when it produces fresh quarterly inflation forecasts at a two-day policy meeting ending on January 18.

☆ Japan's consumer inflation hits fresh 40-year high, eyes on BOJ policy
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Japan's core consumer price index (CPI), which excludes volatile fresh food but includes energy costs, rose 3.7% in November from a year earlier, data showed on Friday, matching market forecasts and perking up from a 3.6% gain in October. Reuters GraphicsAside from utility bills, prices rose for a broad range of goods from fried chicken, smartphones to air conditioners, in a sign of mounting inflationary pressure, the data showed. But an index stripping away such one-off factors may remain elevated and keep pressure on the BOJ to remain vigilant to the chance of a demand-driven rise in inflation. "We'll likely see a rush in price hikes next year that could be more intense than this year," as companies face rising labour and distribution costs, Teikoku Data Bank said. The CPI data will likely be among key factors the BOJ will scrutinise when it produces fresh quarterly inflation forecasts at a two-day policy meeting ending on Jan. 18.

☆ Bank of Japan makes surprise policy tweak
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

ATUSHI TAKEDA, CHIEF ECONOMIST, ITOCHU ECONOMIC RESEARCH, TOKYO:"Today's move reflects the BOJ's determination not to alter its yield cure control policy. CAROL KONG, CURRENCY STRATEGIST, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA, SYDNEY:"I think the move was certainly unexpected, to say the least. MOH SIONG SIM, CURRENCY STRATEGIST, BANK OF SINGAPORE:"They've widened the band, and I guess that came earlier than expected. CHRISTOPHER WONG, CURRENCY STRATEGIST, OCBC, SINGAPORE:"The timing of the policy tweak is a surprise, though we have been expecting the move to come in 2Q 2023. "The tweak may seem modest but is significant for a central bank that has held dovish for a long time.

☆ SpaceX launches lunar lander for Japanese venture ispace, which aims to create an economy around the moon
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Japanese lunar exploration company ispace began its long-anticipated first mission on Sunday, with a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launching the venture's lunar lander from Florida. The Tokyo-based company's Mission 1 is currently on its way to the moon, with a landing expected near the end of April. Founded more than a decade ago, ispace originated as a team competing for the Google Lunar Xprize under the name Hakuto – after a mythological Japanese white rabbit. The investors of ispace include the Development Bank of Japan, Suzuki Motor, Japan Airlines, and Airbus Ventures. The ispace Mission 1 lander carries small rovers and payloads for a number of government agencies and companies – including from the U.S., Canada, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates.

☆ Japan upgrades Q3 GDP as global recession, COVID risks linger
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Tetsushi Kajimoto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Japan's economy unexpectedly shrank in the third quarter as global recession risks, China's faltering economy, a weak yen and higher import costs hurt consumption and businesses. However, others are bracing for the global economy to tip into a recession next year, dealing a sharp blow to trade-reliant Asian exporters such as Japan. Before annualising, third-quarter GDP was down 0.2% on the previous quarter, compared with the initial contraction estimate of 0.3%. Among key sectors, private consumption, which makes up more than half of Japan's GDP, helped drive growth, though it was revised down. However, a weak yen and hefty import bills, which boost the cost of living, more than offset GDP growth contributors.

☆ Binance still has big growth plans despite crypto market meltdown
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Diksha Madhok | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New Delhi CNN Business —Binance is expanding into new markets even as the crypto industry grapples with turmoil unleashed by the spectacular collapse of crypto exchange FTX. The world’s biggest cryptocurrency exchange has acquired Sakura Exchange BitCoin (SEBC), a crypto exchange registered in Japan, Binance said on its website Wednesday. The deal would allow Binance to enter the world’s third biggest economy as a regulated entity. The purchase of SEBC marks Binance’s first license in East Asia, the company said. “We will actively work with regulators to develop our combined exchange in a compliant way for local users,” said Takeshi Chino, general manager of Binance Japan.

☆ Mazda sees no impact on Japan vehicle production from current China lockdowns
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Mazda Motor Corp (7261.T) does not expect to have problems maintaining production in Japan for the time being despite COVID lockdowns in China as the automaker has sufficient inventories of parts, a company executive said on Wednesday. A draconian two-month lockdown in Shanghai earlier this year forced the Hiroshima-based automaker to suspend production for 11 days at its two domestic plants due to a lack of parts. "One of the measures that we are taking now to reduce the risk is to bring the inventory to Japan," said Takeshi Mukai, senior managing executive officer. The automaker wants to ensure it can withstand one month of COVID restrictions in China and another subsequent month of after-effects, he added. Mazda said in August it would ask its parts suppliers to increase stockpiles in Japan and produce components outside China as part of efforts to strengthen its supply chain.

For October-December, (Japan's) production will likely be almost flat or slightly decrease from the previous quarter," said Shumpei Fujita, economist at Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting, pointing to the global economic slowdown as a culprit. Factory output fell 2.6% in October from a month earlier on a seasonally adjusted basis, government data showed on Wednesday. Production machinery output slipped 5.4%, taking a hit from soft demand for equipment to make semiconductors and flat-panel displays. While output of compact cars for the domestic market grew, production and shipment of export-oriented larger vehicles was down due to chip shortages, the METI official said. The impact of China's recent lockdown remains unclear, the METI official said, adding the spill-over effects for Japanese manufacturers may only appear in November or December statistics.

☆ Binance enters Japanese market with Sakura Exchange BitCoin deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Nov 30 (Reuters) - Cryptocurrency exchange operator Binance said on Wednesday it acquired Sakura Exchange BitCoin (SEBC), a crypto exchange service registered in Japan, to expand into the Asian country. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed by Binance. Through the acquisition, Binance will be able to operate in the Japanese market as an entity regulated by the Japan Financial Services Agency (JFSA). Takeshi Chino, general manager of Binance Japan, said, "We will actively work with regulators to develop our combined exchange in a compliant way for local users." Reporting by Urvi Dugar in BengaluruOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Japan's inflation hits 40-year high as weak yen fans import costs
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Tetsushi Kajimoto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

It also confirmed CPI growth remained above the Bank of Japan's (BOJ) 2% inflation goal for a seventh straight month. A slight rebound by the weak yen and planned government support for consumers to pay for higher energy bills would also rein in prices. "I expect inflation to peak by year-end and the rise in prices to start diminishing in the new year," Minami said. Kuroda has argued that global commodity costs account for half of the magnitude of price rises and that cost-push inflation will not last long. In a sign subcontractors are struggling with wholesale price pressures, the corporate goods price index jumped 9.1% in the year to October.

☆ Japan economy set to slow sharply as global inflation, recession risks hurt- Reuters poll
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Tetsushi Kajimoto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan’s economy is expected to have slowed markedly in the third quarter as global recession risks hurt external demand while rising inflation and a weak yen’s impact on imported prices forced consumers to keep their wallets shut. Slideshow ( 3 images )Gross domestic product (GDP) data due 0850 local time Nov. 15 (2350 GMT Nov. 14) will likely show the world’s No. 3 economy grew at an annualised rate of 1.1% in July-Septerber, sharply slower from the 3.5% expansion in the second quarter. Household spending data will be released 0830 JST Nov. 8/ 2330 GMT Nov. 7 and corporate goods price index is due 0850 JST Nov. 11/ 2350 GMT Nov. 10. Ministry of Finance (MOF) data, due out 0850 JST Nov. 9/ 2350 GMT Nov. 8 will likely show current account came to 234.5 billion yen ($1.58 billion) in September.

☆ Japan economy set to slow sharply as global inflation, recession risks hurt
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Tetsushi Kajimoto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Gross domestic product (GDP) data due 0850 local time Nov. 15 (2350 GMT Nov. 14) will likely show the world's No. 3 economy grew at an annualised rate of 1.1% in July-Septerber, sharply slower from the 3.5% expansion in the second quarter. "Supply-side restrictions have also curbed car output," he said, adding that "depending on the extent of slowdown in the global economy, Japan could follow suit and you cannot rule out the possibility that it slides into recession next year." Household spending data will be released 0830 JST Nov. 8/ 2330 GMT Nov. 7 and corporate goods price index is due 0850 JST Nov. 11/ 2350 GMT Nov. 10. Ministry of Finance (MOF) data, due out 0850 JST Nov. 9/ 2350 GMT Nov. 8 will likely show current account came to 234.5 billion yen ($1.58 billion) in September.

☆ Japan's consumer inflation hits 8-year high in test of central bank's dovish policy
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Japan's core consumer inflation rate accelerated to a fresh eight-year high of 3.0% in September, exceeding the central bank's 2% target for the sixth straight month as the yen's slump to 32-year lows continue to push up import costs. The inflation data highlights the dilemma the Bank of Japan faces as it tries to underpin a weak economy by maintaining ultra-low interest rates, which in turn are fueling an unwelcome slide in the yen that pushes up import costs. The increase in the nationwide core consumer price index (CPI), which excludes volatile fresh food but includes fuel costs, matched a median market forecast and followed a 2.8% rise in August. It was the fastest pace of gain since September 2014, data showed on Friday. "The current price rises are driven mostly by rising import costs rather than strong demand.

The inflation data highlights the dilemma the Bank of Japan faces as it tries to underpin a weak economy by maintaining ultra-low interest rates, which in turn are fuelling an unwelcome slide in the yen that pushes up import costs. The increase in the nationwide core consumer price index (CPI), which excludes volatile fresh food but includes fuel costs, matched a median market forecast and followed a 2.8% rise in August. "The current price rises are driven mostly by rising import costs rather than strong demand. The data heightens the chance the BOJ will revise up its consumer inflation forecasts in new quarterly forecasts due at next week's policy meeting, analysts say. With Japan's inflation still modest compared with price rises seen in other major economies, the BOJ has pledged to keep interest rates super-low, remaining an outlier in a global wave of monetary policy tightening.

☆ Bank of Japan keeps ultra-low rates, dovish policy guidance
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +11 min

Sept 22 (Reuters) - The Bank of Japan maintained ultra-low interest rates and dovish policy guidance on Thursday, reassuring markets that it will continue to swim against a global tide of central banks tightening monetary policy to combat soaring inflation. "However, we believe that the BOJ will never allocate monetary policy for the FX rate adjustment and will stick to the YCC policy. "The most important thing is how the foreign-exchange rate reacts to that contrast in monetary policy between the U.S. and Japan. It also leaves the impression there will be no change in monetary policy during Kuroda's remaining term." He has said lesser about any merit of the weak yen recently out of consideration towards public sentiment against rising costs of living."

☆ BOJ's dovish deputy Amamiya top candidate as next head: Reuters poll
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

As Kuroda's right-hand man, he has consistently called for the need to keep monetary policy ultra-loose to ensure Japan makes a sustained exit from deflation. Like Amamiya, Nakaso is considered a safe pair of hands with his expertise on central bank affairs. The BOJ's dovish stance has made it an outlier among a global wave of central banks tightening monetary policy to combat surging inflation. "While Kuroda is at the helm, the BOJ's ultra-loose monetary policy won't change," said Takeshi Minami, chief economist at Norinchukin Research Institute. "But under a new leadership, the bank could reassess its view on the inflation outlook and thinking on monetary policy."

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"The weak yen is importing inflation into Japan. Core consumer inflation is set to top 3% in October," said Takeshi Minami, chief economist at Norinchukin Research Institute. Analysts expect core consumer inflation to exceed 3% in October, when many retailers plan to raise prices and the base effect of more 2021 cellphone fee cuts will drop out of the calculation. While goods prices were 5.7% higher in August than a year earlier, services prices gained just 0.2%, the CPI data showed. But its recovery has been hobbled by a resurgence in COVID-19 infections, supply constraints and rising raw material costs.

☆ OMS: Numărul de noi cazuri de COVID-19 raportate săptămânal s-a dublat la nivel global în ultimele două luni
▼ + stars: | 2021-04-16 | by ( ) www.jurnal.md time to read: +1 min

Sursa foto: ReutersOMS: Numărul de noi cazuri de COVID-19 raportate săptămânal s-a dublat la nivel global în ultimele două luniNumărul de noi cazuri de COVID-19 raportate săptămânal aproape s-a dublat la nivel global în ultimele două luni, apropiindu-se de cea mai mare rată observată până în prezent în perioada pandemiei, a declarat vineri directorul general al Organizaţiei Mondiale a Sănătăţii (OMS), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, relatează Reuters. "Cazurile şi decesele continuă să crească la un nivel îngrijorător", a spus Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus într-o conferinţă de presă axată pe Papua Noua Guinee şi regiunea Pacificului de Vest. Papua Noua Guinee a raportat peste 9.300 de cazuri de COVID-19 şi 82 de decese, scrie Agerpres. Oficialii OMS au declarat că trei echipe medicale de urgenţă au sosit în Papua Noua Guinee săptămâna aceasta din Australia, Statele Unite şi Germania. "Situaţia este extrem de dificilă în acest moment", a spus Takeshi Kasai, directorul regional al OMS pentru Pacificul de Vest, în legătură cu situaţia din Papua Noua Guinee.

Persons: Reuters, Pacificului de Vest . El, OMS, Jelta Wong, urgenţă Organizations: OMS Locations: Papua Noua Guinee, Pacificului de Vest, Australia, Statele Unite, Germania, Pacificul de Vest

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