JETRO Focus Newsletter February 2011

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.

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 Download the February 2011 Newsletter (677 KB)

Kenichi Kawamoto
Executive Director
JETRO New York office

Japan Looks to Trans-Pacific Partnership to Transform its Economy
Since passage of its "Action Plan for Economic Structural Reform" in 1997, Japan has initiated a number of reform initiatives to restructure its economy. As a result, Japan today possesses...

The Importance of Trade to Achieving Sustainable Growth and Recovery
For several decades, Japan has thrived on exports to developed nations, primarily the U.S. and EU. Over the last ten years, however, Japanese exports to the U.S. have...

Integrating Japan into the Emerging Asia-Pacific Community
Economists view an emergent middle class as a key indicator of prosperity and growth within a national economy. Emerging Asia registers positively in this regard as recognized in a...

FTA/ EPA's Enhance Regional Integration and Free and Open Trade
Multilateral trade agreements like the Doha Development Round of the World Trade Organization (WTO) have proved challenging in recent years due to the varied interests of member-states participating in the negotiations.

Agriculture and Japan's Domestic Focus Impinge on its Ability to Enter EPA/FTAs
Like many countries with entrenched industries that are sheltered by preferential treatment, Japanese ability to enter FTAs has been constrained by domestic resistance. Its agricultural industry opposes any agreement that would reduce...

Trans-Pacific Partnership Provides Roadmap for Asia-Pacific Community
Facing increasingly strong competition in the region and beyond, the Prime Minister Kan is also emphasizing the need to "open Japan" through participation in talks concerning the development of a TPP, as well as an FTAAP.

Kan's Economic Reform and Entering the Trans Pacific Partnership Talks
Prime Minister Kan understands the challenges facing Japan's economy and is pushing for substantive policy changes to maintain its competitiveness. His ambitious strategy combines fiscal tightening with policies to stimulate growth. This includes...

Will 2011 be the Year of U.S.-Asia Engagement?
Following the success of the annual APEC Leaders Meeting in Yokohama last November, Japan handed-off its responsibilities to the U.S., which will host the next meeting in Hawaii in 2011. In an interview, Senior Official for APEC in the U.S. State Department Kurt Tong stated, "Our top priority in APEC is...