Winning the Currency Olympics
For them the euro is like the cockroach motel – you can check in, but you can never check out.
Abe Gets His Ya-Ya’s Out
The LDP, like the Rolling Stones, is a dinosaur outfit. Both lack the energy levels of their nineteen sixties heyday , but still manage to wipe the floor…
Japan Goes For Growth
The message was clear – deflation was the fault of Japan’s inadequately fertile womenfolk, not the elite officials of the central bank
Japan Reflates
Amidst all this activity, the position of Japan is absolutely, well, pivotal. From the US point of view, a wealthy, confident and committed ally is a vital asset in what it is likely to be a long drawn out strategic game
You Say Diaoyu, I Say Senkaku
Photos of Chinese protestors holding signs proclaiming “Exterminate the Japanese” went viral in Japan and will not be forgotten quickly…
Killing Godzilla
Only right-wing nationalists, communists and neo-pagans dare propose the time-honoured method of regaining lost competitiveness
Marine’s Movies
Le Pen’s mini-review of Braveheart is to the point. “How can we not be moved by this historical panorama celebrating patriotism, courage, honour and sacrifice, embodied in a man of the people…”
Reflating Japan
The triple disasters of March 2011 – earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear contamination – offered a stark depiction of Japan’s strengths and weaknesses to the world and perhaps to the Japanese themselves.
Sayonara to Hard Money: Here Comes Global QE
The Bank of Japan’s decision to adopt an inflation target and double its bond purchases completes the global flight to soft money.
Austerity Fatigue: LePen & Hash-ism
The road to fiscal hell is sometimes paved with the best intentions. As Europe’s politicians seek to win electorates round to brutal budget cuts, they would do well to look to the experience of Japan.