Economics
On February 6, 2026, the NLI Research Institute hosted a webinar focused on why home purchases continue to be made despite rising housing prices, interest rates, and inflation. They used various published data on the mortgage market to summarize and explain households' adaptive behavior, incorporating a financial theory perspective.
Economics
The entry of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), operating through its subsidiary JASM, is a systemic catalyst for the resurgence of Kyushu’s "Silicon Island." This transition marks a pivot from the region’s historical identity as a domestic manufacturing base toward its emergence as a high-value node
Economics
Japan is facing a severe labor shortage, at least if you believe the headlines. The same headlines that were proclaiming the "2024 Trucker Crisis" due to annual overtime being capped at 960 hours (!), and even before that, announced the "2025 Digital Cliff". Alas, armageddon is not
Economics
The Itochu Research Institute's Associate Senior Research Fellow Sota Takano put out a new research note last week, analyzing the most recent monthly labor survey. Nominal Wage Growth Accelerates, but Real Wages Remain Negative In September, the growth rate of total cash earnings was +1.9% year-on-year, accelerating
Economics
The NLI Research Institute has published an article titled "The potential growth rate can be changed: The true potential of the Japanese economy," authored by Taro Saito. The following is intended to reflect the essence of this work in English translation 1. The Stagnation Paradox: Challenging the Narrative
regional revitalization
The first meeting of the Financial System Council's Working Group on Strengthening Regional Financial Power was held on Friday, September 5, 2025, focusing on the evolving role of regional financial institutions in Japan's regional revitalization efforts and the profound implications of accelerating population decline on urban
Economics
The Sompo Institute Plus (SRI), the think tank of Sompo Group, has published a report that analyzes how accurate government economic growth forecasts have been in Japan, particularly focusing on projections made in 2015 for the period through 2023. It examines why these forecasts often missed the mark, finding that:
Economics
The SOMPO Institute Plus, the think tank of SOMPO Group, has published its quarterly outlook for the Japanese economy today. The report anticipates a continuation of moderate economic growth, driven by gradually improving real wages and solid corporate performance supporting business investment. However, external demand is expected to remain weak
Economics
On Friday, January 24, 2024, FinCity.Tokyo hosted the "Tokyo Asset Management Forum" (TAMF) in the morning, and the "FinCity Global Forum" (FCF) in the afternoon. This FGF Keynote Talk centers around the global economic outlook, with a specific focus on Japan, its economic policies, and
Economics
Corporate bankruptcies in Japan have significantly increased during November 2024. The number of bankruptcies has risen for the third consecutive month, and total debt is sharply higher compared to the same month last year. This trend is driven by a combination of factors including rising costs, labor shortages, and lingering
japan
The Bank of Japan completed its last Monetary Policy Meeting of the calendar year today, and left the policy rate unchanged. We invite you to read the full "Statement on Monetary Policy" here: Bank of Japan 2024-12-19Statement on Monetary Policyk241219a.pdf444 KBdownload-circle A little more interesting is the