business

Japan's economy expands for 5th straight quarter

11 Comments
By Toshifumi KITAMURA

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11 Comments
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You can spin it any way you want and fudge the numbers in creative ways, but Japan is no where near getting any better with their citizens under age 40 only having 2.5% of all assets in the country with retires over 65 who own 66%.

5 ( +9 / -4 )

".... but Japan is no where near getting any better"

I've been in Japan for quite a few years now. Things generally are a lot better than before: housing, infrastructure,  recreation, services, cleanliness.

Japan's GdP per capita (a much better measure) regularly outpaces the other advanced economies'.

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

Its a delusional growth! If Abe loses power and support, investors will lose momentum on his so called "Abenomics", and ultimately retreat from Japan. Its like what Hitler did; promising growth and development, while secretly making amendments to the constitution to allow the Nazis further expansion. Japans debt is also continuing to reach new dangerous levels. As of today at swallowing 250% of GDP (around 9,2 trillion$) Investors and bankers will sooner or later at least put a halt into this massive easing policy and rather adapt before its to late for Japan to recover at all, economically from debt! Japan has probably reached their maximum growth potential. Thereby its no need to exceed economical limitations by lending more and more money for Abe`s easing policy!!

-8 ( +2 / -10 )

Falling prices can discourage spending by consumers, who might postpone purchases until prices drop more or they might save money instead.

Utter nonsense.

This article was written by someone who lives far from reality, receives a fat paycheck and

doesn't know how a cabbage or lettuce cost.

9 ( +11 / -2 )

You can show me the numbers, but I'm just not feeling the magic. We were doing much better in the post-bubble recession when all the numbers said things were bad.

So I don't believe much in these numbers.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Every damn article about the economy, inflation or deflation uses that stupid line that people postpone making purchases because of falling prices. People will buy when they have money and have confidence. Two things woefully lacking in japan at the moment!

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Honest-nomics working.   Strange to use photo of potato crisps when we know there is a shortage of them .

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Japan has probably reached their maximum growth potential. 

Potential could be much improved with quality policies. This implies major reforms, quantum leaps in structural reforms though. Abe hasn't the guts.

Falling prices can discourage spending by consumers, who might postpone purchases until prices drop more or they might save money instead.

The economists who argue this have led us nowhere. Just read the stuff from Capital Econonics above...

Falling prices is what consumers desire, and in response more consumers come to demand the product. Few owned mobile phones when they cost hundreds of thousands of yen. Now with increased productivity and cheaper mobile phones almost everyone has one.

When consumers have all their wants satiated, growth comes not from hiking prices, but from innovative new products. And as those new products become affordable and available more people buy them. This is growth. Growth is not doing the same thing. Growth is doing more.

Japan needs a quantum leap in structural reforms to create the desired incentive effects. The idea that hiking prices will help is totally wrong. Businesses that are trying to sell products which are not in demand should fail, not be propped up. This is good and normal.

And saving money is no economic evil either. Honestly...

3 ( +4 / -1 )

I wonder what would happen if all taxes were removed and a simple tax rate were implemented. For example, a ratio-pay tax (RPT - ratio of highest paid worker/CEO to the lowest paid worker; tax on business profit) and a prefectural sales, personal income, or property tax (each prefecture could pick one with a cap provided by national govt).

Example:

National ----

RPT

1:1 - 1:5 = 0%

1:6 - 1:10 = 5%

1:11 - 1:20 = 10%

1:21 - 1:50 = 15%

1:51+ = 20%

Aomori Prefecture ----

Income tax (personal)

5%

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

The government data are simply as trusty as their polls on the PM's popularity.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

The government data are simply as trusty....

Naturally, it's "trusty" when it supports your worldview, and then not "trusty" when it doesn't. Gotta love how JT posters embrace and cite negative data and then reject  positive data, when the data comes from the same source. LOL.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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