With Elpida Memory filing for bankruptcy in February of this year, Japan has essentially abandoned the DRAM (dynamic random access memory) semiconductor business that helped power the growth of the nation’s big electronics firms in the 1980s. What lessons does the Elpida debacle offer for Japanese industrial policy going forward?
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The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster also spelled financial disaster for the Tokyo Electric Power Co. With the government now pumping in capital in an attempt to save the company, there is increasing debate over how far national control over it should go. How does the nationalization of TEPCO fit into a long-term approach that encompasses Japan’s overall energy policy and power industry reform?
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When in February the Bank of Japan introduced a price stability goal, it was reported as virtually a switch to inflation targeting. But is this really so? And will the goal finally cure deflation? Evaluating the new policy, Gakushūin University Professor Iwata Kikuo casts doubt on its effectiveness.
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Japan ran up a trade deficit in 2011 for the first time in 31 years. The current account, which includes the income account and other items, remained in the black, but its surplus shrank considerably. Satō Takehiro, chief economist for Japan at Morgan Stanley MUFG Securities, examines whether further trade deficits will push the current account into the red.
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The Texas Rangers paid a record sum to bring pitcher Darvish Yū over from Japan. Darvish has broken a few records of his own as a Japanese pro, including an ERA under 2.00 for the past five seasons. The question is whether he can match that success as a Major League Baseball pitcher. Sports journalist Ninomiya Seijun shares his take on the prospects for this young pitching phenomenon.
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Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is set to assume Russia’s top office once again following his resounding victory in the March 4 presidential election. Russia watcher Hakamada Shigeki offers his forecast for the political climate in the country and for Japan-Russia relations under the new Putin regime.
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