JETRO Focus Newsletter February 2009

JETRO's Focus Newsletter series provides readers with a bi-monthly snapshot of Japan's macroeconomy, as well as other important topics and trends. It is designed to analyze current developments, including those relating to Japan's economy, its business, financial, investment and political environment, as well as relevant social and cultural themes.  Subscribe online to JETRO Focus

Recent editions have covered issues including rising entrepreneurship and investor interest in Japan, the economic integration of East Asia, changing business and corporate practices, structural and corporate reform and the potential impact of postal savings reform.

 Download the February 2009 Newsletter (495 KB)

Lessons Learned and Advancing the US-Japan Relationship in Troubled Times
Global financial turmoil combined with calls for new ways to manage an increasingly interdependent global economy are just two of many trends...

Examining Current Turmoil Within Context of Japanese Experience
Commonly-held assumptions concerning the underlying strength of the US economy, as well as the emergence of the BRIC's and the theory of their economic decoupling were...

Japan Faces its own Economic and Social Challenges
Japan suffered through four recessions during the "lost decade” of the 1990's before returning to normalcy in 2001. The Nikkei index more than doubled from April 2003 to June 2007 as...

The Evolving Context of the US-Japan Bilateral Relationship
Over the past sixty years the US-Japan bilateral relationship has gone through several phases. Following WWII, the US helped rebuild...

The Potential for Enhanced Cooperation between Japan and the US
Part of the reason for this more tranquil relationship is that Japanese firms learned from their past experience. After the trade wars and unfavorable reaction over high-profile trophy investments made...

The Primary Lesson of Japan is the Need to Recognize Change is Essential
Many parallels can be drawn between current developments in the US and the collapse of Japan's bubble economy in 1990. This includes issues relating to...