Japan revises down GDP growth rate to 3.7%
The Cabinet Office said at a meeting of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy on Tuesday that Japan's GDP will expand about 3.7 percent in real terms, excluding price fluctuations.
The figure is down 0.3 percentage points from the previous estimate that the Cabinet approved in January.
But the government said GDP will this year return to levels seen before the coronavirus pandemic, as the figure for last fiscal year was better than expected. Previously, the government said GDP would recover this fiscal year, ending in March 2022.
In the meeting, Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide said GDP will likely surpass pre-pandemic levels this year, and hit a record high next fiscal year.
Suga said participants in the meeting pointed out that vaccinations can help speed up normalization of economic activities and make further economic growth possible. He added that the government will do all it can to get people vaccinated as soon as possible.
The participants also discussed basic guidelines for next year's draft budget. Suga said he wants to focus on investments to create a green society, promote digital transformation, revitalize local regions and tackle population decline.
- NHK

theguardian.com - Aug 10
Japan’s prime minister, Fumio Kishida, has removed ministers associated with the Unification church in a cabinet reshuffle aimed at reviving his fortunes amid a public outcry over his party’s ties to the religious movement.

NHK - Aug 09
People in Japan are remembering the victims of one of history's most catastrophic wartime attacks. Tuesday marks 77 years since the atomic bombing of Nagasaki during World War Two.

brecorder.com - Aug 09
Public support for Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida slid to the lowest level since he took office last October, with voters questioning his decision to hold a state funeral for former premier Shinzo Abe, public broadcaster NHK said on Monday.

NPR - Aug 06
YONAGUNI ISLAND, Japan — For years it was known as the "Two Gun" island – one gun for each of the two policemen stationed here.

NHK - Aug 06
A Japanese Cabinet minister has denied that politics played any role in a decision by the government to certify the then-Unification Church's name change in 2015.

Kyodo - Aug 06
The Japanese government plans to roll out a new type of COVID-19 vaccine considered effective for the Omicron variant as early as October, sources familiar with the matter said Friday.

FRANCE 24 English - Aug 06
Japan's prime minister on Friday condemned China's firing of ballistic missiles during military drills around Taiwan, calling them a "serious problem that impacts our national security and the safety of our citizens."

South China Morning Post - Aug 05
Japan’s minister for gender equality and children’s issues, Seiko Noda, said that the country’s male-dominated parliament has treated its dramatic population decline with “indifference and ignorance”.

NHK - Aug 04
Tokyo has lodged a protest with Beijing, after multiple Chinese ballistic missiles landed within Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone, amid large-scale military drills.

indiatimes.com - Aug 04
A Japanese journalist detained in Myanmar has been charged with breaching immigration law and encouraging dissent against the military, the junta said Thursday.

NHK - Aug 03
Japan's Upper House has dismissed a plan by a newly-elected opposition lawmaker to stay overseas during the extraordinary session that will open on Wednesday.

ABC News (Australia) - Aug 03
Japan has called on Myanmar's junta to release one of its citizens who was detained in Yangon after filming a demonstration. Meanwhile the country's military rulers are extending the state of emergency by another six months.

taiwannews.com.tw - Aug 02
Japan's average minimum wage is set to rise at a record pace this year, the government said on Tuesday, a positive development for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's efforts to cushion households from global commodity inflation.

NHK - Aug 02
A rapid surge in new cases of coronavirus infections is piling pressure on medical facilities and workers. Experts are calling for policy changes to help reduce this burden.

theguardian.com - Aug 01
Japan was still struggling to make sense of the violent death of Shinzo Abe when the man suspected of killing him gave police information that has sent shockwaves through the country’s political establishment.

Kyodo - Aug 01
A Japanese government panel is expected to propose raising the average minimum wage for fiscal 2022 by a record 30 yen or more from 930 yen ($7) an hour, sources familiar with the plan said Monday, as the country battles accelerating inflation.