Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF), the world’s largest pension fund, is reportedly considering Bitcoin as a potential investment. With an impressive $1.4 trillion in assets under management, the GPIF’s exploration of Bitcoin represents a notable departure from its conventional investment approach. This development occurs during a significant increase inRead More →
Japan’s Nikkei 225 index briefly surpassed 41000, reaching a new all-time high on Friday 22nd March 2024, as the nation’s inflation rate reportedly accelerated in February 2024. Other Asia-Pacific markets experienced declines. The headline inflation rate in Japan for February 2024 was reported at 2.8%, an increase from the 2.2%Read More →
In a move that reverberated across global financial markets, the Bank of Japan (BOJ) recently bid farewell to its negative interest rate policy – the last of its kind in the world. This decision marks a pivotal moment in the realm of central banking and has far-reaching implications for economiesRead More →
According to the revised official data, the Japan’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 0.4% in the fourth quarter of 2023 compared to the same period in the previous year. According to this revision, the economy avoided a technical recession, which is usually defined as two successive quarters of negativeRead More →
Japan’s Nikkei 225 ended some 90 points shy of breaching the 40000 level, leading gains in Asia stocks on Friday 1st March 2024. Japan’s Nikkei 225 hit a fresh record high, closing 1.9% higher at 39910Read More →
Japan’s Nikkei 225 index hit a new all-time high on Monday 26th February 2024. In contrast China markets slipped after a nine-day winning streak. The Nikkei 225 ended 0.4% higher at 39233 comfortably above its previous closing record of 39,098.68. The index breached its 1989 all-time high of 38915 on ThursdayRead More →
A U.S. company has gone to the moon – and creates a little piece of history Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C cargo lander, named ‘Odysseus’ after the mythological Greek hero, is the first U.S. spacecraft to soft land on the lunar surface since 1972. Japan, India and China have all had recentRead More →
Japan’s Nikkei 225 hit a record high of: 39098 on Thursday 22nd February 2024. The rally was propelled by electronics, banking and consumer stocks as robust earnings and investor-friendly measures fuel a blistering rally in Japanese equities. The Nikkei 225 jumped 2%, surpassing the previous record high of 38,915.87 reached in 1989.Read More →
It’s true. 2012 statistics show that citizens of Japan registered 21 million or so pets against 16.5 million children (under 15 years). This is a problem for Japan as it has a growing elderly population. It means Japan has one older person for every three citizens. 33% of the populationRead More →
Japan’s economy slipped into a technical recession, after the economy unexpectedly contracted again in the October-December 2023period, government data showed Thursday 15th February 2024. High inflation affected domestic demand and private consumption in what’s now the world’s fourth-largest economy. Provisional gross domestic product contracted 0.4% in the fourth quarter compared with aRead More →
After a decade-long bull run throughout the 1980’s, the Nikkei 225 index reached an all-time high of 38,915 on December 29, 1989, the last trading day of the year. Few could have imagined, on New Year’s Eve of 1989, that the index would be lower 34 years later. As the New YearRead More →
The highest coal using countries in the world These countries accounted for about 82% of the global coal production in 2021 according to 2021 data set. China alone produced more than half of the world’s coal, followed by India with nearly 10%. Global coal use in 2023 hits few high GlobalRead More →
Japan’s Nikkei 225 index set a new record in nearly 34 years last week, breaking the 35000 barrier for the first time since February 1990. Its all-time high of 38915 was hit in December 1989? That’s a 35 year old record! Some analysts think that the long-term prospects for theRead More →
This was the famous UK advertising slogan of a once famous and proud Japanese business that later fell from grace. It became a 1980’s advertising hit for Toshiba in the UK. There was a time when more than one of your TV’s, computers, laptop’s, Hi-Fi’s, speaker systems or other essentialRead More →
Japan launched a rocket on 7th September 2023 carrying an X-ray telescope that will explore the origins of the universe and a small lunar lander. The launch of the HII-A rocket from Tanegashima Space Centre in southwestern Japan was shown live by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Thirteen minutesRead More →
Japan has started releasing treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean on Thursday 25th August 2023. This is a controversial decision that has been opposed by China, South Korea, and some Pacific island nations. They fear that the water release will harm the marine environment andRead More →
Clear crypto rules Asia is promoting clear crypto rules at a time when large businesses are facing regulatory uncertainty in the U.S. Some Asian countries that have taken the lead in crypto regulation include Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea. They have proposed or implemented frameworks that protect investors, preventRead More →
Japan’s economy beats expectations with 6% annualised growth in Q2 Japan’s economy posted its third straight quarterly expansion, latest government data showed 15th August 2023, as robust export growth contributed to an annualised 6% expansion in the second quarter, easily beating market expectations. Economists had reportedly expected the world’s third-largest economy toRead More →