The ladies of Nagatacho are ready to take on the challenge to become Japan's first female Prime Minister. But, there is one lady who could completely take the spotlight if she were to return to national politics; Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike

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• According to the JSDA, Japanese retail investors are engaging with stockbrokers and starting to invest in domestic stocks. Laggards are moving.
• There are 69 million individual Japanese shareholders according to the Tokyo Stock Exchange 2022 survey, but only holding 17.6% of the market.
• New NISA is key to the government’s plan to pull the immense pool of savings into investments; investment trusts, single equities and IPOs.

After what has been perceived by the press and the Japanese Government as decades of indifference, retail investors are starting to look at domestic stocks and the new NISA accounts are acting as a catalyst. It is early data, but there is evidence of a start of re-engagement with stockbrokers.

Click HERE to read the article in full on Patreon
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The Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) sees the United Kingdom (UK), Italy and Japan work together.

• As the yen remains weak, a manufacturing revival in hi-tech growth export industries accelerates and more capital comes to Japan.
• The Japanese government is clearing exports of high-tech defence equipment, and JAXA is ready to take on the satellite launch business.
• With investment from the best Taiwanese, US and South Korean semiconductor companies, Japan is coming back as a top hi-tech manufacturer.

I believe there is a likelihood now that the downside in the yen could be pegged by the MoF.

There are a number of good reasons, but perhaps the most important is that investors and partners with Japan need to be comfortable with their investments, and encourage more capital to flow into Japan.

If they get it right, MoF could make a tidy profit in the process.

Click HERE to read the article in full on Patreon

• If the BoJ exits its Negative Interest Rate Policy (NIRP) this week, to zero (ZIRP) expect a snap reaction to a stronger yen with temporarily weaker stock prices, especially exporters.
• The drivers of the Japanese equity market in 2023 remain intact and are likely to build momentum for the rest of the year.
• The easy money for 2024 has been made, but the peak of opportunity in Japan has not passed.

To read this article, please click HERE

A Japanese "Bug Bomb" that kills most every creepy-crawly at home but requires a proper clean-up afterwards.
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• The press alarm over 2023 bedbug infestations in France, South Korea and China has died down, it does not mean they have gone away.
• Bedbugs travel in suitcases and on clothing. Japan is seeing a monthly average of 2.2 million foreign tourist arrivals.
• Inbound tourism may see multiple headwinds in 2024, but an insect infestation such as bedbugs will hit domestic tourism the hardest.

 
Sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite.

Japan saw more reports of bedbugs in 2023 than ever, but not yet at the levels that has been reported in other popular tourist destinations globally. Spring has arrived in Japan, and as the weather continues to warm up ahead of the cherry blossoms in March, this could rapidly change as bugs that hitched a ride during the winter start to multiply.

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Ah yes, I remember it well! This is the second time I have seen the Nikkei 225 heading for 40,000.

An interesting session on the replay before I joined Money Talk last Friday, with Andrew Freris CEO of Ecognosis Advisory, and Mark Michelson, Chairman of Asia CEO Forum at IMA Asia, with RTHK's James Ross to discuss the following:

• Artificial Intelligence and Nvidia.
• The strong US market and the Fed.
• The Japanese equity market regarding 1989 and the yen.
• Bank of Japan (BoJ).
• China, interest rate cuts and why.
• And briefly on Hong Kong asking is there light at the end of the tunnel?

Then I join at 11:45 to discuss:

• Why it has taken so long for the Japanese equity market to clear its 1989 high.
• The repair of the economy over the past ten years.
• Potential for the market to continue higher.
• What the next push may be: BoJ policy, a stronger yen, local investors.
• Japan’s shrinking economy, Germany, GDP revision coming up.

For the replay, please click HERE and visit RTHK 3's website.
Thank you to everyone who gave me such positive feedback on my recent articles, and thank you to James Ross for inviting me on the show for the discussion.

Best,
Neil

The Man On The Telly - BBC Singapore Asia Business Report 19th February, 2024

• According to Q4 2023 estimated data, Japan is technically in recession. The first GDP estimates can be very unreliable, January and February will look worse. What happens in March and April matters.
• The fact that Japan’s economy is now smaller than Germany in USD terms is irrelevant; neither Japan nor Germany are dollar based. What does matter is restoring local optimism. 
• We should be partying like it’s 1989, but it’s a push-pull dance at the BoJ while Japan tries to remember the Moonwalk. A rate rise now may jog memories.

To read this article in full, click HERE a formatted PDF sample of this article is available, please ask.

Links to articles:
CNN Business – “Despite a recession, Japan’s stocks are partying like it’s 1989”
BBC – “Japan unexpectedly slips into a recession”

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