Japan


	September 13, 2001	atimes.com

Japan

Mad cow mania comes to Japan
The Ministry of Agriculture will launch a full-scale investigation to identify the sales route and destinations of stock feed eaten by an animal believed to be Japan's first suspected case of mad cow disease. (Sep 11)
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Land of the rising centenarians
In 1963, Japan had 153 people who were at least 100 years old. Now it has 15,475. It's a graphic illustration of the rapid graying of the country's population. (Sep 11)
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Major steelmakers go soft and sluggish
Japan's five major steelmakers have announced reductions in their earnings forecasts for the fiscal first half ending September 30, citing intensifying price competition, sluggish domestic demand and declining exports. (Sep 10)
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Wanted: a global balance of power
China has noted and welcomed a change of heart by the US administration in its policy on a missile defence shield vis-a-vis China. The US now appears to recognize the necessity of a balance of power with China, but that is something that will worry countries like Japan and India. Francesco Sisci argues that a more global balance is needed, with a focus not on "rogue states" but on equilibrium within a wide Eurasian framework. (Sep 10)
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Tokyo starts trading in Mid-East oil futures
The Tokyo Commodity Exchange on Monday became the first market in Asia to trade crude oil futures, with a success that has led to a forecast that the Tokyo market will become an international benchmark, rivaling New York and London. (Sep 10)
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Parties draw up package to aid economy, jobless
Japan's coalition parties have compiled a package of measures that center on aiding those thrown out of work by the government's structural reforms and reviewing land taxes to revitalize urban areas. (Sep 7)
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Japan to open its bank books to IMF
Amid growing concerns over the stability of the country's financial system and a mountain of nonperforming loans, Japan has agreed to an International Monetary Fund request that experts be sent to find out exactly how things stand. Staff shortages at Japan's key regulator, however, may slow things down. (Sep 6)
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With Japan on the ropes, Koizumi's reforms unravel
Under the twin onslaught of rising unemployment and a severe dip in the stock market, Japan's much touted package of economic reforms under popular Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is fast losing steam. Koizumi has already taken his first step backward. (Sep 4)
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ANOTHER CHINA
Chapter 11: Peace or war?
War is war, whether waged by means of missiles or international finance. Francesco Sisci argues in this serialization of his book that the Asian financial crisis, the Indian nuclear tests, and the US-Japan plan to deploy a Theater Missile Defense shield are linked in a geopolitical struggle that has evolved from Cold War to "soft war". And all this has cost China dear by distracting it from what has been its primary task for the past 20 years: economic construction. (Sep 3)
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The threat to Japan's economy is Japan, not China
A view being colorfully bandied about with regard to the Japanese and Chinese economies is that the giant sumo wrestler is being swallowed by the even larger dragon. Not so, writes Devin T Stewart, who argues that China can complement Japanese industries and that it can also put pressure on Japan to reform its economy, which is where the real problem lies. (Aug 24)
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EDITORIAL: Japan-China: Love you, love you not ...