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Japan Economy Forum

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Tokyo set to OK building of efficient coal power plants

TOKYO -- Japan will likely allow construction of new efficient coal-fired power plants to continue, even as it aims to reduce the fuel's contribution to its energy mix and cut overall emissions.

The government has outlined regulations on fossil-fuel-based power generation, a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, in the wake of United Nations climate talks that ended in Paris last week. Japan said at the meeting that it intends to cap coal's contribution to its energy mix at 26% by 2030.

Japan's energy: Tokyo set to OK building of efficient coal power plants- Nikkei Asian Review

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Japan's corporate tax to fall for third straight year

TOKYO -- Japan on Thursday moved closer to cutting its corporate tax below 30%, with a plan for reducing the effective rate to 29.97% next fiscal year, clearing an important hurdle in the ruling coalition.

This rate, which represents the portion of corporate income paid in central and local government taxes, now stands at 32.11%. The ruling bloc seeks to lower it for the third year running.

Abenomics: Japan's corporate tax to fall for third straight year- Nikkei Asian Review
 
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Tokyo set to OK building of efficient coal power plants

TOKYO -- Japan will likely allow construction of new efficient coal-fired power plants to continue, even as it aims to reduce the fuel's contribution to its energy mix and cut overall emissions.

The government has outlined regulations on fossil-fuel-based power generation, a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, in the wake of United Nations climate talks that ended in Paris last week. Japan said at the meeting that it intends to cap coal's contribution to its energy mix at 26% by 2030.

Japan's energy: Tokyo set to OK building of efficient coal power plants- Nikkei Asian Review

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Japan's corporate tax to fall for third straight year

TOKYO -- Japan on Thursday moved closer to cutting its corporate tax below 30%, with a plan for reducing the effective rate to 29.97% next fiscal year, clearing an important hurdle in the ruling coalition.

This rate, which represents the portion of corporate income paid in central and local government taxes, now stands at 32.11%. The ruling bloc seeks to lower it for the third year running.

Abenomics: Japan's corporate tax to fall for third straight year- Nikkei Asian Review

While generally an economically right wing person, I don't find any benefit in reducing taxes on essentially what are the rich.

An economy is defined by the strength of its middle class. This will only lead to further income inequality.
 
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While generally an economically right wing person, I don't find any benefit in reducing taxes on essentially what are the rich.

An economy is defined by the strength of its middle class. This will only lead to further income inequality.

I think this is to help Companies increase wages
 
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National wealth up a second year in 2015

TOKYO -- Japan's national wealth grew a second straight year to 3.108 quadrillion yen ($26 trillion) at the end of 2015, the Cabinet Office reported Friday.

The figure increased 2% from a year earlier, driven in large part by a weak yen that boosted the value of overseas assets.

Japanese economy: National wealth up a second year in 2014- Nikkei Asian Review

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Outlook on 2016 / How to make Japan’s economy sing in 2016


By Hirohisa Sakamoto / Yomiuri Shimbun Economic News Editor


What if you can’t get things done the way you want?
For instance, what kind of scheme would you invent if your dear cuckoo refused to sing when you wanted her to? You’d be accused of being brutal if you said, “If she doesn’t sing, I’ll kill her.” But you’d also be accused of being too easygoing if you said, “I’ll wait until she sings.”

Personally, I would follow the words of wisdom expressed by the 16th-century warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi: “If she doesn’t sing, I’ll make her sing.”

The rationale behind my sentiment is our nation’s economic condition. It looked as if the Japanese economy had come back to life on the strength of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Abenomics policy. As circumstances stand now, however, the economy seems to have stalled, with no sense of direction.

This is the Year of the Monkey. Hideyoshi, who began as a servant in charge of footwear and eventually rose to power, was nicknamed “Monkey.” I don’t intend to draw a metaphorical comparison between these two facts, but I still feel that Hideyoshi’s wisdom and tact provide a viewpoint from which people can consider the future of the Japanese economy.

Hideyoshi gained control over major seaports to monopolize foreign trade, and used the profits to bring feudal lords to their knees. He was keenly aware that the key to preserving power lay primarily in controlling the domestic economy through such measures as mine development and the issuance of gold and silver coins.

The driving forces behind Hideyoshi’s success in unifying the whole country were his exceptional ability to properly look at the world outside Japan and his splendid talent for commercial activities.

In a nutshell, “Hideyoshinomics” was marked by foresight far into the future, a readiness to streamline operations, a strategy for dealing with the external world and a good measure of unpredictability. These four attributes can be deemed the basics of business management innovation, and contemporary Japanese corporations must strive to achieve them.

If these four attributes represent the distant view in a painting, four lines could be drawn as auxiliary elements, each one pointing to an economic task for our nation in 2016. These tasks can be associated with business leaders I have met in my news-gathering activities.

The first auxiliary line, of foresight into the future, resembles the spirit of entrepreneurship. I’m reminded of Euglena Co. President Mitsuru Izumo, 35, whose corporation is engaged in the development of innovative products using euglena, such as nutritional food and fuel.

Izumo repeatedly proposed business tie-ups to numerous companies, 500 of which turned down his offers over a two-year period. Still, he worked hard, and with a dauntless spirit eventually achieved success in putting his venture on the road to prosperity. It will be impossible to reinvigorate the Japanese economy unless efforts are made to reform our corporate culture, in which things different from the norm are currently shunned.

The second auxiliary line — a readiness to streamline operations — points to Akio Toyoda, 59, the president of Toyota Motor Corp. — a globally renowned carmaker that symbolizes high-quality Japanese products.

Japan’s electrical and automobile industries, both engines of this nation’s economy during the post-World War II years, are losing their edge in the international market. This year will be crucial for Toyota regarding whether it can win the tug-of-war for predominance over such state-of-the-art technologies as eco-friendly cars and automated driving.

The third line is a strategy for dealing with the external world. The importance of being able to look at Japan from the standpoint of the rest of the world has remained unchanged through the ages. Early in the new year, the rapid flow of money through markets around the world shook the Japanese economy.

Known for his talkativeness, Bank of Japan Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda, 71, weighs on my mind regarding his ability to communicate his thoughts internally and externally. A great deal of attention centers on whether he will be able to demonstrate excellent skills in pulling this nation out of deflation.

A man of unpredictability — representing the fourth line in the painting — could have what it takes to eliminate the widespread sense of stagnation in society. A good example is Nitori Co. President Akio Nitori, 71. With Hokkaido as his initial business base, he fiercely struggled to transform his corporation into the nation’s largest chain of furniture shops.

His life has been full of ups and downs. Nitori’s lucky necktie is pink, and it’s said that he hopes to have karaoke music played at his funeral. Although he’s in an orthodox line of business now, Nitori remains a “heretic” who refuses to think and act within the framework of conventional business wisdom.

Let us liken Japanese business operators to musicians. The bass they are to play in a piece of music comes in the form of a shrinking mindset — or a way of thinking marked by a tendency to value small things and try to make everything compact.

What does it take to play the “melody” of 2016? We need the determination to make the Japanese economy remember how to sing with a beautiful voice.

The engine of growth is innovative products and services. Great changes of the times can generate new needs in society. Our nation’s decreasing population and aging society should be viewed as good opportunities to create new industries — instead of deploring the seriousness of these problems, which are unparalleled around the world. Gold mines are buried in many fields, such as medical and nursing-care services, transportation, housing, and distribution.

Stagnation or recovery? The year 2016 signifies a period that will test the intrinsic value of Abenomics, which is entering its fourth year.

The prime minister is striving to reignite the economy through what he calls the “new three arrows” of his economic policy package. However, there is gnawing anxiety about the global economy, most notably in China. What’s more, Abe’s growth strategy, which seeks to tap into private-sector vitality, seems to be losing much of its luster.

At the beginning of the new year, Abe expressed resolve to “take on challenges, time and time again.” He must not loosen the reins on his reform drive if he wants to avoid seeing his initiative become nothing but a dream.

The four figures cited in this column — Izumo, Toyoda, Kuroda and Nitori — were born in years with the same Chinese zodiac sign as 2016: the monkey. According to proverbs about stock price trends, years of the sheep will call for patience, while years of the monkey and rooster will see fluctuations.

We must renew our determination to perceive changes in the Japanese economy and endeavor to relay such findings to a new age.


Outlook on 2016 / How to make Japan’s economy sing in 2016 - The Japan News
 
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Mitsubishi Aircraft gets order from U.S. firm for up to 20 MRJ jets


February 17, 2016 (Mainichi Japan)



In this Nov. 11, 2015, file photo, the Mitsubishi Regional Jet is seen after its first flight, at Nagoya Airport in Toyoyama, Aichi Prefecture. (Mainichi)
SINGAPORE (Kyodo) -- Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp. said Tuesday it has reached a broad agreement with Aerolease Aviation LLC of the United States for an order to supply it with up to 20 units of the Mitsubishi Regional Jet, the first aircraft built in Japan in more than half a century.

It is the first order received by the Japanese aircraft manufacturer for the MRJ since a successful test flight of the passenger plane was conducted last November.

The MRJ is the first Japanese-developed aircraft since the YS11 propeller airplane that made its first flight in 1962.

Aerolease Aviation, an aircraft leasing company based in Florida, signed a letter of intent to order 10 MRJ90 jets, with an option for another 10. Delivery is scheduled for 2018.

A total of 407 MRJ aircraft are already on order and 20 will be added to Mitsubishi Aircraft's order book when the company based in central Japan's Aichi Prefecture signs a definitive agreement with Aerolease Aviation.

The total of 427 MRJ aircraft include 233 firm orders with 170 options and 24 purchase rights.

In December last year, Mitsubishi Aircraft, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., said it would delay the delivery of the MJR by about a year to 2018 to achieve a better-integrated aircraft with higher levels of safety and reliability.

Hiromichi Morimoto, president and CEO of Mitsubishi Aircraft, said Tuesday that he expects no further delay.

Speaking at a press conference during the Singapore Airshow, where the company is showcasing a mockup of the MRJ and explaining the successful performance of its test flights, Morimoto said, "We had good response from customers."

He later told Kyodo News that the MRJ might make its international debut at next year's Paris airshow.

While most orders for the MRJ have so far been from North America, Morimoto said, "The Asian market is most promising globally."

"We aim to sell our MRJ especially for the East Asian countries and also island countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines," he said.

"Generally speaking, in the Asian market there's (a need for) more mobility of human beings and also goods and services. In that sense, this regional jet will be economically more advantageous than bigger ones," he said.

The company is developing the 88-seater MRJ90 and the 76-seater MRJ70, while it also has plans for a 100-seat MRJ100X.

Mitsubishi Aircraft anticipates demand of about 5,000 aircraft in the regional jet market over the next 20 years, with demand for regional aircraft expected to increase for both airlines and leasing companies.
 
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これが日本の現状だ

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Mitsubishi restructures aero-engine businesses
Jon Grevatt, Bangkok - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
05 August 2016


Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has announced a plan to merge its military and commercial aero-engines businesses. The move is the latest effort by the corporation to enhance its competitiveness in Japan and export markets.

MHI said on 4 August that it will split off its military aero-engine business from its existing division, the Integrated Defense & Space Systems (IDSS), and move it under an MHI subsidiary engaged in commercial aero-engines.

The subsidiary, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Aero Engines Ltd (MHIAEL), was established in 2014 and is involved in the research, development and production of aircraft powerplants and is also involved in various collaboration programmes with foreign firms, particularly Rolls-Royce and Pratt & Whitney.

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Japanese airline ANA to replace 100 Rolls engines on 787s

Reuters
| September 1, 2016

ANA said the first engine failure happened on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Tokyo in February. A second flight in March and a third in August had similar problems.


ANA-japan.jpg
SEATTLE: ANA Holdings Inc, Japan’s largest airline, said on Wednesday it will replace all 100 Rolls-Royce engines on its fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners following three engine failures this year caused by corrosion and cracking of turbine blades.

In response to questions from Reuters, ANA, the world’s largest 787 operator, said all 50 of its 787s will receive engines fitted with new blades, a process that could take up to three years.

ANA has only three engines that need repairs, “but we will replace all the 100 engines for enhanced safety measures,” the company said in an email.

A spokesman for Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC said the engine maker would swap out existing blades for new ones on ANA’s planes in the short term. Rolls has started production of a new blade design that will be ready by year end, he said.

“We are working very closely with ANA,” Rolls spokesman Richard Wray said in an email.

The new blade will be incorporated next year into engines going on to new 787s, Wray said, adding that other airlines are managing the issue with “ongoing maintenance.”

Rolls-Royce Chief Executive Officer Warren East said on Tuesday that ANA’s problem was a “manageable issue.” He added that ANA’s “intensive” use of the engines had caused the blades to wear more quickly than usual.

ANA said the first engine failure happened on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Tokyo in February. A second flight in March and a third in August had similar problems.

On Wednesday, ANA said four 787s remain grounded and that it had canceled 18 domestic flights due to the engine problem. The airline said it expected no further cancellations through mid-September. Beyond that its schedule had not been finalized.

The Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine, one of two engines for the Boeing 787 jetliner, costs about $20 million at list price. General Electric makes the other 787 engine, known as the GEnx.

Boeing’s 787, built with lightweight carbon-fiber wings and fuselage, is a technological leap forward and burns 20 percent less fuel than the jets it replaces. But it was three years late coming to market and regulators grounded the fleet in 2013 after its lithium batteries overheated and burned.

Boeing has delivered about 445 of the planes, which seat 242 to 290 passengers and cost $225 million to $265 million at list price.
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/ca...ine-ana-to-replace-100-rolls-engines-on-787s/
 
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September 23, 2016 8:59 am JST
Japan, Cuba vow to boost economic ties with more investment
20160923_abe_cuba_article_main_image.jpg

Cuba's President Raul Castro, right, and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, left, smile during a meeting at Revolution Palace in Havana, Cuba, Sept. 22. © AP

HAVANA (Kyodo) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Cuban President Raul Castro agreed Thursday to expand bilateral economic ties through increased Japanese investment in the Caribbean country and the cancellation of a major part of the debt it owes Japan.

During a meeting in Havana, Abe, who became the first Japanese prime minister to visit Cuba, also unveiled grants worth about 1.3 billion yen ($12.9 million) in medical aid to the country, according to Japanese officials.



Abe referred to a recent bilateral agreement for Japan to waive 120 billion yen of a 180 billion yen debt that Cuba owes Japan, the officials said.

Given that Cuba has a friendly relationship with North Korea, Abe told Castro that Pyongyang's repeated ballistic missile launches and nuclear tests, including its fifth and largest nuclear test earlier this month, have raised the level of threat to the region and beyond.

He also sought Havana's cooperation in addressing the issue of Pyongyang's abductions of Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 1980s.

Abe's visit came as the resumption of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States last year following a 54-year freeze has prompted other countries to boost relations with Havana.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is also planning to travel to Cuba later this month.

In the talks, Abe and Castro agreed to convene a deputy ministerial-level meeting of government officials and business leaders from the two countries in November in Tokyo to discuss specific investment projects to be launched in Cuba, according to the officials.

To facilitate implementation of Japan's aid to Cuba, Abe conveyed a plan to set up an office of the government-backed Japan International Cooperation Agency in the country, they said.

Abe is hoping that his trip will encourage Japanese companies to invest in Cuba, whose major trading partners are Venezuela, China, Canada and Spain.
As of 2016, a total of about 700 foreign companies are operating in Cuba, of which 18 are Japanese, according to data from Japan's Foreign Ministry.

The two leaders affirmed cooperation in the medical area. With the 1.3 billion yen aid, Cuba will procure medical equipment.

They also agreed to launch a study to set up a center in Cuba to train medical professionals.

Abe told Castro that with recent escalated provocations, North Korea's missile and nuclear weapons development programs have become a threat to peace and stability in East Asia.

Prior to the talks with Castro, Abe met with former President Fidel Castro, Raul's elder brother and leader of Cuba's 1959 revolution.

Abe is on a two-day visit to Cuba after attending the U.N. General Assembly and related meetings in New York.
 
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