Japan’s Economy Shrank Last Quarter, Top Forecaster Says

The Japanese economy likely contracted last quarter, dragged down by weak consumer spending and a slump in exports, according to a top forecaster.

Why Japan Should, or Shouldn’t, Join the China-led AIIB: Q&A

When Japan’s finance minister meets his Chinese counterpart in Beijing on Saturday, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank will loom large in the talks.

Asia's Week: Japan's Rebound Gets More Taxing

Another calamitous loss of human life gripped Asia’s attention this week, relegating economic matters to secondary notice.

Japan Capex Up 4.0% During October-December

TOKYO--Capital investment spending by Japanese corporations increased by 4.0% from year-ago levels during the October- December quarter, a government survey used in the revision of gross domestic product figures showed Monday.

Japan trade deficit worsens on back of weak yen

Japan's trade deficit worsened in July, almost doubling from a year ago, as a weak yen boosted import costs.

Japan falls into recession

Japan – the world's third largest economy – has fallen into recession, hit by sluggish exports to China.

Japanese exports to China fall amid territorial dispute

Japanese exports to China tumbled in September compared to the previous year, as a territorial dispute between the two countries weighed on the economy.

Weak Industrial Output Bodes Ill for Japan

TOKYO—Painting a dismal picture of the outlook for the world's third-largest economy, weak industrial production figures release by Japan suggest an overseas slowdown may be choking the nation's exports.

Europe debt crisis biggest risk for Japan economy: Yoshihiko Noda

TOKYO: The European debt crisis is the biggest risk for the Japanese economy, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said in a weekend interview with Dow Jones Newswires, citing it as a factor behind the yen's strength.

Why the Japanese state is more solvent than you think

Is Japan bust? Will it be the next Greece? The next Italy? I looked at this very briefly last week (How the euro-crisis could affect your investments) but I think the answer is a pretty clear no.

Japan's ruling DPJ party outlines plans for quake-tax

Japan's government and the ruling Democratic Party (DPJ) have agreed to temporarily raise taxes to pay for reconstruction after the deadly March earthquake.

The plan to raise 9.2tn yen ($120bn; £77bn) needs approval by the DPJ's coalition partner and the opposition party.

Tepco shares plunge to record-low on future concerns

Shares of Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) have plunged to a record-low on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

The company's shares nosedived by as much as 28% after news reports that the company was expected to report a loss of $7bn (£4.7bn) in the current financial year.

Japan's Ricoh to cut 10,000 jobs

Japan office equipment maker Ricoh has said it plans to cut its global workforce by about 10,000 people, in order to reduce costs.

The company currently has about 110,000 employees around the world.

Shares in Ricoh surged more than 7% on the news

Japan sets power-saving targets to avoid blackouts

Japan has set power-saving targets during the peak summer season to avoid a wider collapse of power grids.

Major power users have been asked to cut consumption by 25%, said the trade minister according to the Reuters news agency.

World Bank tells East Asia to tighten

Speaking at a forum in Singapore, the country's Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said Japan's nuclear crisis could hurt consumer and business confidence.

"Confidence is affected in a different way from a one-off natural disaster," said Tharman, tipped to be the next head of the International Monetary Fund's International Monetary and Financial Committee.

Asia set to ride out quake’s economic shock

As the tragedy from the Japanese earthquake continues to unfold, a natural assumption is that the severe economic dislocation in the world’s third-largest economy must be having a serious impact on its neighbours.

The truth, though, is that Japan’s suffering is unlikely to be more than a temporary blip on economic growth in most of Asia, which will probably keep growing at 8 per cent or so on average – unless there is a massive nuclear accident that directly affects neighbouring countries.

Economic aftershocks of Japan quake roil Asia, but Japan Inc.’s long decline cushions impact

Economic aftershocks of the devastation in Japan are rolling through Asia. It is here, among Japan’s neighbors, that the reverberations of the catastrophe are being felt hardest.

Automakers in Thailand are slowing production. South Korean electronics manufacturers face shortages of critical parts. Thousands of Japanese have canceled trips to Taiwan. Panic buying has driven up prices of Japanese cameras in China, while Indian policymakers brace for higher oil prices.

US, EU stabilizing, but Asia poses economic worry: S&P

SINGAPORE -- Just as growth is stabilizing in the long-troubled United States and Europe, concerns are now emerging about Asia's economic health.

The unfolding disaster in Japan following last Friday's earthquake, along with the turmoil in the Arab world, have raised questions about economic growth in these regions, said ratings agency Standard & Poor's chief global economist David Wyss.

Japan looks for market stability after quake

Japan's central bank will hold an emergency meeting tomorrow to discuss how to maintain financial stability in the markets following the devastating earthquake and the nuclear alert.

The authorities said yesterday they want to ensure there is enough liquidity in the financial system so that companies and investors can start rebuilding. They will also put emergency plans in place for the public to have access to cash as so many banks and cash machines have been wiped out by the quake.

Japan posts first trade deficit in almost two years

Weaker exports to key markets gave Japan its first trade deficit in 22 months, Ministry of Finance data has shown.

The trade deficit was 471.42bn yen ($5.7bn; £3.52bn) in January, with exports up 1.4%. Analysts had expected export growth to be closer to 7%.