1-month state of emergency extension may cut consumption by ¥3.6 tril

less consumption = less pointless waste.

The government only has itself to blame! Japan has been far behind every other developed country, and particularly those in Asia, in acknowledging and combating the virus.

Get rid of a few of these useless politicians and gut the even more meaningless komuin, and that "consumption" number would change dramatically!

Might even end up saving some instead!

@Simian: Tesla going wild too. Just push a button and buy.

With so much debt and spending, the yen should be ¥125 = $1.00

Get rid of a few of these useless politicians and gut the even more meaningless komuin, and that "consumption" number would change dramatically!

Might even end up saving some instead!

Yeah right, I guess you to read the news. No one excpet china is doing well.

Consume, consume is the mantra of the Japan Inc./Gov combine.

Yet they go all in pouring regressively sourced taxes into subsidies on the supply side to landlords and financials while the majority of consumers are confronting subsistence living with constricted opportunities and relentless taxation.

The neo-liberal view of economics by Keidanren and their LDP affiliates is killing the consumer economy in the absence of progressive, trickle up stimulus.

In addition, he forecasts 159,000 people will lose their jobs

That is a very big problem.

Suicides will rise, Depression will rise, Frustration will rise, Domestic Violence will rise, Crime will rise....

But who cares as long as we have a SOE!

Sue, and it will cost just the same in hospitalizations and care for the infected not to mention the death and suffering.

@dagon,

I couldn't agree more.

The Japanese economic model is about as moribund as it gets.

The great reset? Going to be more like the great carnage, things already getting out of control

Getting out of control? Please. One year into this, Japan has 27 deaths per million people. Sorry, they are not going to shut down the economy for that

Meanwhile, New Zealand doing very well overall. Unemployment way less than expected and economy rebounding nicely. Not perfect but at least people have almost a certainty they can go out and lead a pretty much normal life without fear of possibly getting Corona.

Japan could have went for the zero corona approach right from the beginning but instead allowed the virus to spread into the community after they chose to keep borders open way back in Feb 2020 and prioritise the economy over people's health.

Also allowed Diamond Princess passengers to take public transport home after quarantine period up. I never did get this approach and could see the writing on the wall a year ago.

Japna, like NZ, Taiwan, is an island nation and should have focused on elimination right from the start. If people are certain that it's safe, they'll consume and the economy will rebound.

Japan, stop the excuses!

Duh!! I’m certainly not buying jack crap during this pandemic. There’s hardly any financial assistance for foreigners, so they won’t care what happens to them if their money runs out. Wake up and get some people care for once!!

It’s a bad joke!

The elderly stay at home but I know someone just out of quarantine and his first act was to go out to drink and eat, the same tonight.

Of course, he was not alone.

Some people are just ignoring the advice with the result that the virus will keep on spreading.

Consumption down. Savings up.

Pigeons and deers are now breathing.

How many countries in the world have now a consumption up ? Less than my fingers.

Imagine if they had been serious about Corona when it counted. Every day they waited is another week or more they're going to have to deal with it in the future. They could have avoided these trillions as well if they had agreed to cancel the Olympics when this started last year. Instead, they threw billions upon billions EXTRA on top of what it is going to continue to cost while they insist still on holding it. The cost of the Olympics alone could have helped the entire nation and then some. Now they're complaining about losing money because they have to be safe. Well, forget about March 7th with this attitude -- it'll be the rest of this year.

Surely, now is not the time to be ‘going to travel’

Right?

The neo-liberal view of economics by Keidanren and their LDP affiliates is killing the consumer economy in the absence of progressive, trickle up stimulus.

Couldn't we just cut the crony stuff and have true free market capitalism instead?

I don’t want to subsidize consumers anymore than I want to subsidize producers.

I want free market prices, that’s my idea of neoliberal nirvana!!

The emergency was expanded to 11 out of Japan's 47 prefectures on Jan 13, six days after it was declared for the Tokyo metropolitan area. Only Tochigi, located to the capital's north, will be removed as scheduled on Sunday, following a significant improvement in its virus infection situation.

Outside the Greater Tokyo area, the SOE designated Osaka, Fukuoka and Aichi are planning to relax incrementally measures in responding to local situations.

The extension was pre-announced and highly expected, so people and businesses are better prepared for it. The decision is more consensual based on public and majority's will. You can't eat and keep a cake at the same time.

Lives are more important.

So, people of all ages dying of hunger or suicide is acceptable but people in their 80's dying from corona isn't.

Sounds like a great plan.