Ashvin Chotai of Intelligence Automotive Asia and I have just given a seminar at Chatham House in London on the outlook for automotive M&A activity in Asia and outbound from Asia. Although activity has dropped (90 deals in 2007, 30 in 2008), companies are still picking up some of the opportunities thrown up by the …
As with the last recession, it’s hard to tell there’s actually one on. The restaurants and izakaya are still full and the shoppers are as indefatigable as ever. Nevertheless, politicians are talking about extending the social safety net. One reason for this is the move away from full employees to contract and part-time workers over …
Well, we saw his arrival as a return to grey nothingness so his departure is hardly grieved. The “all-star” line-up on the LDP side presages a return to power for a non-LDP coalition – a rare event to be treasured, but, unfortunately not inspiring much hope. The chances of such a coalition ramming through sweeping …
The blog name “Tsurezuregusa” is the title of a Japanese book written in the form of jottings and notes of the thoughts of a retired courtier in the 14th century. Donald Keene translated this as “Essays in Idleness”. From my long absence you may deduce either an excess or a lack of idleness. This month …
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Here’s an interesting demonstration of how things in Japan often follow a different logic from elsewhere. In the oil shock years of the 70’s, Japan imposed a temporary petrol tax to discourage excess consumption. Subsequently, throughout the (almost) uninterrupted rule of the LDP, the ruling governments forgot to repeal the “temporary” tax despite the fall …
The Year of the Rat might sound negative to Western ears, but actually these furry charmers are supposed to bring wealth. They are admired for their industriousness among other traits. There are mixed predictions for the Japanese economy this year, but “not bright” seems to be the consensus. Having noted all the reasons for the …
As the baby-boomers start to retire, receiving their retirement bonuses from their grateful employers, the opportunities in the financial sector in the next year or two are great for the well-prepared. There are also widespread predictions of greater leisure spending, but a counter-trend is emerging of companies re-hiring the retirees for a number of reasons: …
The hot weather has continued, but the world of politics is looking distinctly chilly. No sooner had we started to celebrate Abe’s resolve than it crumbled. The messy appointment of Fukuda indicates a return to the old system. He talks a good reforming game, but is unlikely to be able to deliver much. If Abe …
It has been a sweltering summer with record temperature highs, especially around Nagoya and Tokyo. Measures to reduce electricity use are in place to try to ensure supply at peak demand times. It’s not only the weather that’s been challenging though. The elections sent a strong message of dissatisfaction to the majority Liberal-Democtratic Party (LDP) …
