JETRO Focus Newsletter October 2012

JETRO's Focus Newsletter series provides readers with a 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 October 2012 Newsletter [PDF, 410KB]

Kenichi Kawamoto
Executive Director
JETRO New York office

Japan Repositioning in Face of a Challenging World Economy

Since the devastating March 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster, Japan has led an incredible reconstruction effort. Through collective strength and resilience, debris has been cleared, roads rebuilt, and supply chains restored. Many hoped the reconstruction process would not only rebuild the nation, but also provide the impetus to pass policies that would revitalize Japan's economy. While progress has been achieved and previously intractable policy decisions reframed, the intricacies of Japan's deliberate political decision-making have inhibited adoption of necessary reforms on the scale that some had envisioned.