Reuters (September 25)
“Long-term foreign investors are looking into small cap Japanese shares…. Some fund managers have been dabbling in subcontractors of big Japanese exporters while others look at companies whose coverage by analysts is low and have been neglected by international investors.” At recent Tokyo conferences, the number of overseas money managers has dramatically increased, with many attendees driven by a desire to find out more about small caps.
New York Times (September 8)
“For the International Olympic Committee, environmental concerns in Japan appeared less urgent than the Syrian war on Turkey’s border, a harsh crackdown against antigovernment protesters recently in Istanbul and Spain’s economic recession and high unemployment…. Amid such economic, political and human rights maelstroms, Tokyo was seen as a calm harbor. It won handily over Istanbul in the second round of voting, 60-36, in a secret ballot of Olympic delegates.”
Tags: Environmental concerns, Human rights, IOC, Istanbul, Japan, Olympics, Recession, Spain, Syria, Tokyo, Turkey, Unemployment
Forbes (September 8)
“As for Olympic infrastructure, the Japanese are famously good at meeting deadlines, which should come in handy when state-of-the-art new facilities need to be built. Another factor is Tokyo’s mass transit system, which in many ways is the world’s most sophisticated – indeed far more sophisticated than it was in the 1980s, when it was already well ahead of most Western cities.”
Tags: Deadlines, Facilities, Infrastructure, Japan, Mass transit, Olympics, Sophisticated, Tokyo
Wall Street Journal (June 12)
“Rents go down, grocery bills shrink, companies lay off workers and people move away to live in the countryside—and yet somehow Tokyo continues to be among the world’s most expensive cities for expatriates to live in.” Tokyo shot back to the top of Mercer’s annual list of the most expensive cities in the world. The strength of the yen was a major factor. Osaka ranked third and Nagoya tenth.
“Rents go down, grocery bills shrink, companies lay off workers and people move away to live in the countryside—and yet somehow Tokyo continues to be among the world’s most expensive cities for expatriates to live in.” Tokyo shot back to the top of Mercer’s annual list of the most expensive cities in the world. The strength of the yen was a major factor. Osaka ranked third and Nagoya tenth.
Washington Post (May 1)
Tokyo and Washington made “a welcome step forward” with the decision to move 9,000 marines to other Pacific bases. This “small but significant diplomatic breakthrough” will finally ease “the two-year-old standoff over U.S. bases on the Japanese island of Okinawa.” The deal will strengthen “an alliance that both countries need more than ever” and may even “open the way for an invigoration of strategic cooperation at just the right time in East Asia.”
Bloomberg (January 12, 2012)
In Tokyo, “rents are now at the lowest since Miki Shoji started compiling data in 1990.”
Office rent fell 3.7% in 2011 from 2010. Simultaneously, the Capital’s vacancy rate climbed to 9.01% from 8.91%. With new office space set to increase by 12% in 2012, the vacancy rate is expected to remain high, with continued flexibility on rents.
Tags: Miki Shoji, Office, Rent, Tokyo, Vacancy
Time (May 2)
Urbanization is transforming the global economy and lifting millions out of poverty. A study from the McKinsey Global Institute shows that 20% of the world’s population resides in 600 urban centers, which “account for some 60% of worldwide GDP.” McKinsey believes the mix of urban areas will change dramatically by 2025. Emerging cities, and especially those in China, must be a focus for businesses that want to succeed globally. By 2025, 21 of the 25 top growth cities are forecast to be in the developing world, flanked by Tokyo, New York, London and Los Angeles from the developed world.
Urbanization is transforming the global economy and lifting millions out of poverty. A study from the McKinsey Global Institute shows that 20% of the world’s population resides in 600 urban centers, which “account for some 60% of worldwide GDP.” McKinsey believes the mix of urban areas will change dramatically by 2025. Emerging cities, and especially those in China, must be a focus for businesses that want to succeed globally. By 2025, 21 of the 25 top growth cities are forecast to be in the developing world, flanked by Tokyo, New York, London and Los Angeles from the developed world.
The Financial Times (April 7)
A “cup of sake could save the nation.” The Financial Times disagrees with Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara’s efforts to discourage traditional hanami cherry blossom viewing parties out of respect for those still suffering from disaster. The Governor’s entreaties could make a bad situation worse, as restraint worsens a reeling economy. “Mr Ishihara risks deepening the post-disaster slump by simultaneously seeking to stop Tokyo residents from celebrating the arrival of cherry blossoms with their traditional hanami flower-viewing parties.”
Bloomberg (April 1)
Many concerns over radiation are overblown. In Tokyo, the highest radiation reading of 0.109 microsieverts per hour was taken yesterday in the Shinjuku district. This compares favorably with 0.14 microsieverts in Hong Kong’s Kowloon district. In fact, “many countries have naturally occurring radiation levels that exceed Tokyo’s.” Current radiation in Tokyo is “barely above levels in London and New York.”
Many concerns over radiation are overblown. In Tokyo, the highest radiation reading of 0.109 microsieverts per hour was taken yesterday in the Shinjuku district. This compares favorably with 0.14 microsieverts in Hong Kong’s Kowloon district. In fact, “many countries have naturally occurring radiation levels that exceed Tokyo’s.” Current radiation in Tokyo is “barely above levels in London and New York.”
Financial Times (March 11)
The Great Tohoku Earthquake dwarfed the Hanshin (1995) and Tokyo (1923) earthquakes, Nevertheless, “Japan has faced this challenge with admirable calm and fortitude.” Despite the altogether massive magnitude, Japan is demonstrating “resilience.”
Tags: Earthquake, Hanshin, Japan, Tohoku, Tokyo
