| May 24 | Kuroda struggles with communication as Japan rates rise |
 Haruhiko Kuroda may need to talk his way out of a paradox he helped create.
Installed as Bank of Japan chief in March, Kuroda aims to unlock borrowing and spending by lifting inflation expectations and wages after 15 years of deflation. (Bloomberg  ) |
| May 24 | BOJ offers to buy JGBs for 2nd day |
 The Bank of Japan on Friday offered to buy some 900 billion yen in Japanese government bonds from commercial financial institutions on Tuesday, launching JGB-buying market operations for the second consecutive day. (Jiji Press ) |
| May 24 | Veteran fears 'beginning of the end' for Japan as bond market buckles |
 Global markets face a witches' brew of new risks as Japan's monetary adventure wobbles, China slows further and the US Fed prepares to shut the spigot of dollar liquidity. (telegraph.co.uk ) |
| May 22 | Japan's central bank says economy picking up |
 Japan's central bank says the world's third-biggest economy is "picking up" as demand recovers in other countries and remains resilient at home, though the trade deficit widened in April, for the tenth straight month.
(abcnews.go.com ) |
| May 22 | Japan exports disappoint, full benefits of weak yen yet to show |
 Japan's exports rose less than expected in April from a year earlier due to weak demand from Europe and China, highlighting the challenges confronting the world's third-biggest economy as policymakers try to engineer a sustained revival. (Reuters ) |
| May 22 | BOJ target at risk as spreads show tame G-7 prices |
 Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda's biggest obstacle to ending deflation may be beyond his control, judging by the lowest premium in two decades on developed-nation debt over Japanese bonds. (Bloomberg ) |
| May 21 | Japan finance minister reluctant to cut corporate tax |
 Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso expressed his reluctance Tuesday to meet the business community's request for a cut in corporate taxes. (Jiji Press ) |
| May 21 | Dollar reclaims losses after Japan minister clarifies yen comments |
 The dollar edged up against the yen on Tuesday after a Japanese minister clarified earlier remarks about the yen's weakness that had toppled the greenback from a 4-1/2-year high against the Japanese currency on Monday. (Reuters ) |
| May 21 | Exclusive: Japan panel warns of dangers if debt not addressed |
 A Japanese government panel warns there is "absolutely no guarantee" that domestic investors will keep financing the country's massive public debt, citing the risk of a spike in bond yields that could crimp long-term growth prospects, according to a draft report seen by Reuters on Monday. (Reuters ) |
| May 21 | Concern over long-term interest rates |
| Long-term interest rates continue to rise, inviting concerns that this may adversely affect the economy, as interest rates on housing loans and banks' lending to businesses are based on long-term rates. (Yomiuri) |
| May 20 | Gov't upgrades basic economic assessment as weaker yen lifts exports |
 The Japanese government on Monday revised upward its basic assessment of the economy in May, as a weaker yen has helped exports bounce back, encouraging companies to boost production. (Kyodo ) |
| May 19 | Japan's economic rebound a recipe for Europe? |
 The recovery of the Japanese economy, just as a recession in Europe digs in, is renewing pressure on European policymakers to shift course from austerity to stimulus. (Economic Times ) |
| May 18 | Abenomics: Once more with feeling |
 In "Soapland"-Sopurando, a Tokyo red-light district-the price of a basic half-hour "massage" has recently gone up for the first time since 1990. (The Economist ) |
| May 18 | Abe sets out growth strategy |
 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has unveiled more details of his economic growth strategies using "winning the global market" as the key phrase. (NHK ) |
| May 18 | Japan most favored nation in poll showing Abe optimism |
 Investors are more confident in a Japanese leader than any time since at least September 2010, with optimism about Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's policies exceeding that for counterparts in the U.S., Europe and China. (Bloomberg ) |
| May 18 | As yen falls, goods from Japan are more affordable |
| Japanese goods are getting more affordable. For consumers worldwide - and for Japan's economy - it's welcome news. (abcnews.go.com) |
| May 17 | Japan PM's 'Third Arrow' reforms seen short of overhaul |
 Anyone expecting a broad overhaul of Japan's economy that would remove barriers to competition will likely be disappointed when Prime Minister Shinzo Abe launches his "Third Arrow" policy next month, but those with more modest expectations may be pleased. (Reuters ) |
| May 16 | Japan's GDP grows for 2nd straight quarter |
 Japan's economy grew for a second straight quarter between January and March. (NHK ) |
| May 15 | Analysis: Japan government-bond selloff sparks fears of too much, too fast |
| A three-day rout in the bond market has raised concerns that the Bank of Japan is getting more than it bargained for, by prodding investors to shift money out of the safety of government bonds faster than the government expected. (Reuters) |
| May 14 | Japan wholesale prices up for 5th month |
 Japan's wholesale prices rose for a 5th straight month in April, as a weaker yen made imports more expensive. (NHK ) |
| May 13 | Is Japan's economy at risk? |
 The Abe administration in Japan swung quickly into action with policies aimed at lifting the economy out of its long lasting doldrums. Prime Minister Abe appointed Haruhiko Kuroda, after eight years distinguished service at the Asia Development Bank, to implement a strong reflationary program through the Bank of Japan (BOJ): the first arrow of his three arrow revival strategy. (East Asia Forum ) |
| May 13 | Dollar hits 102 yen |
 The dollar surged above 102 yen on the Tokyo Foreign Exchange on Monday morning. That level was last seen in October 2008. (NHK ) |
| May 12 | 'Japan Inc.' on the brink: Weak yen a lost opportunity? |
 Japan seems to be seeing some splendid days.
This past week the Nikkei 225 hurdled over the 14,500 mark and near a five-year high, while the yen weakened beyond the 100-yen mark against the dollar and to a four-year low. (CNN ) |
| May 12 | G-7 renews pledge to avoid currency war as dollar shoots up |
 Financial chiefs from the Group of Seven advanced economies on Saturday agreed to refrain from competitive currency devaluations as the U.S. dollar surges to near 102 yen, its highest level against the Japanese currency since October 2008. (Kyodo ) |
| May 12 | Bank of Japan takes big risks to revive the economy |
| Japanese asset prices have responded in a surprising way to the announcement of a policy package by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the new leadership of the Bank of Japan (BOJ) - they have gone up. (East Asia Forum ) |
| May 11 | U.S. sends Japan currency warning as G7 meets |
 The United States told Japan it would be watching for any sign it was manipulating its currency downward, but Tokyo said it met no resistance to its policies at a meeting of Group of Seven finance ministers which will conclude on Saturday. (Reuters ) |
| May 11 | Japan hopes to benefit from RCEP Asia-Pacific free trade |
 Japan pins high hopes for newly started free trade negotiations with 15 other nations in the Asia-Pacific region. (Jiji Press ) |
| May 10 | Yen breaks through 100‚ Abenomics hits another milestone |
 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe scored another small victory as the yen broke below major support of 100 to the dollar, with markets bracing for further declines over the course of the year that would underpin the export-reliant economy.
(Reuters ) |
| May 10 | Capital flight from Japan: Has the yen's downfall just begun? |
 The yen hit a four-year-low of 101 against the U.S. dollar on Friday, extending losses beyond the key 100-mark amid signs that Japan's bid to reflate its economy is finally leading domestic investors to look for higher yields elsewhere. (cnbc.com ) |
| May 10 | Japan's current account surplus marks record low in FY 2012 |
 Japan's current account surplus marked a record low in fiscal 2012 as exports to China and Europe slackened and fossil fuel imports surged, the government said Friday. (Kyodo ) |
| May 10 | Dollar climbs to 100-yen level |
 The US dollar climbed to the 100-yen level in New York on Thursday. This is the first time in 4 years and one month that the dollar has reached the height. (NHK ) |
| May 10 | 16 economies start Asian FTA negotiations |
| Sixteen economies in Asia and Oceania kicked off in Brunei Thursday negotiations on a regional free trade agreement, aiming to strike a deal by the end of 2015. (Jiji Press) |
| May 10 | Forex reserves post 1st rise in 7 months |
| The nation's foreign exchange reserves grew for the first time in seven months in April thanks to a rise in the value of euro-based assets as the currency strengthened against the dollar, Finance Ministry data showed Thursday. (Yomiuri) |
| May 09 | Kuroda stimulus policies backfire as mortgage costs rise |
 Bank of Japan Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda's stimulus policies are backfiring in the housing market, where mortgage rates are rising even as the central bank floods the financial system with cash. (Japan Times ) |
| May 09 | Inflation goal kills BOJ flexibility |
 In its half-yearly Outlook for Economic Activity and Prices report on April 26, the Bank of Japan predicted that fiscal 2015 will achieve a 1.9 percent rise in the consumer price index, following a 0.7 percent rise in fiscal 2013 and a 1.4 percent rise in fiscal 2014, showing the BOJ's view that its goal of achieving a 2 percent inflation is within reach. (Japan Times ) |
| May 08 | How high will mortgage interest go? |
 Just as deposit interest rates have remained near zero for the past 20 years in Japan, housing mortgage interest rates have been lower here than almost anywhere else in the world. (Japan Times ) |
| May 08 | Japan to boost farm exports to Indonesia |
 Japanese officials are looking to export more farm products -- and they're starting with Indonesia. (NHK ) |
| May 07 | Japan, Indonesia support FTA in broader Asia-Pacific |
| Japanese agriculture minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and his Indonesian counterpart Suswono on Monday confirmed the two countries' cooperation in establishing a proposed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP. (Jiji Press) |
| May 06 | Can Japan turn to foreign workers? |
 Japan is the only developed industrial democracy to have become rich without heavily relying on foreign workers during its period of advanced economic growth. The government has followed two basic immigration principles: it welcomed specialised and technical labour while examining carefully the admission of unskilled labour. In practice, this meant Japan welcomed relatively few immigrants. (East Asia Forum) |
| May 06 | With caution, Japan's neighbors welcome 'Abenomics' |
 Emerging Asian neighbors are bracing for a surge in capital flows after Japan's unprecedented bid to pump up its long-moribund economy but most believe the upside of cheap cash and a stronger Japanese economy outweighs the risks. (Reuters ) |
| May 05 | ADB flags danger of Asia forming 'asset bubbles' |
 Emerging Asia needs to be on guard against "asset bubbles" as central banks around the globe loosen monetary policy, Asia Development Bank Managing Director Rajat Nag warned. (Japan Times ) |
| May 04 | Japan's public debt: Don't mention the debt |
 To revive Japan's economy Shinzo Abe, its prime minister, has loosed three arrows. Temporary fiscal stimulus, monetary easing and structural reform together make up the strategy known as "Abenomics". But many reckon there needs to be a fourth dart in the quiver: fiscal consolidation over the longer term to tackle the country's vast public debt, which is expected to approach 240% of GDP next year. (The Economist ) |
| May 04 | ASEAN-plus-3 boost economic ties amid discord in E. Asia |
 The Association of Southeast Asian Nations plus Japan, China and South Korea agreed in India on Friday to enhance the region's financial cooperation, despite the absence of the finance ministers of China and South Korea. (Kyodo ) |
| May 03 | Japan and Russia: Trade before territory? |
 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is visiting Russia for the first full summit between the countries in a decade. He has taken a delegation of more than 120 business leaders with him to Russia - the biggest ever economic mission to the country. (Aljazeera ) |
| May 03 | Monetary base hits record high of 155 tril. yen |
 The nation's monetary base stood at 155.28 trillion yen at the end of April, up by about 9.24 trillion yen or 6.3 percent, for the second straight month of record highs, the Bank of Japan said Thursday. (Yomiuri ) |
| May 03 | What's worrying the Bank of Japan? |
| Some members of the Bank of Japan have expressed concerns over the central bank's ambitious new monetary policies, warning that overly aggressive action could discourage lending, or produce otherwise unwanted side effects. (CNN) |
| May 02 | Abenomics haunted by ghost of General MacArthur |
 Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's drive to revise Japan's pacifist constitution for the first time risks alienating voters who support his economic agenda and dividing his coalition government before July elections. (Bloomberg ) |
| May 02 | Abenomics already boosting economy |
 Expectations for Abenomics have apparently shifted the economy into a positive cycle, as seen through increased personal spending, the gradual expansion of corporate production and an improvement in unemployment. (Yomiuri ) |
| May 02 | Special pay for workers shoots up 8.2% |
| Bonuses and other special payments for Japanese workers increased 8.2 percent from a year earlier in March, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said in a preliminary report Wednesday. (Yomiuri) |
| May 02 | Japan top U.S. asset holder in mid-2012 |
| Japan was the top foreign holder of U.S. financial assets in mid-2012 and China was No. 2, the U.S. Treasury Department said Tuesday. (Yomiuri) |