Japan’s failure to ratify the Paris climate agreement by the time it takes effect is a major and miserable diplomatic blunder.   The landmark agreement to establish a new international framework for the world’s fight against global warming is now set to come into force on Nov. 4.   The pact represents a groundbreaking global attempt to tackle the colossal….Read more

Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI) announced on September 25 that it will introduce in October a “special insurance for interest rate swaps” as part of efforts to promote Japan’s exports of infrastructure. For loans involving power-generation-plant projects in emerging economies, NEXI will expand the scope of trade insurance coverage to include interest swap transactions in addition to the principal and….Read more

FUKUOKA — An international fisheries commission began discussing details of fishing restrictions for bluefin tuna in the northern Pacific at a meeting in southwestern Japan on Monday amid concerns about overfishing.   At a subcommittee meeting of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission held through Friday in the city of Fukuoka, participants are discussing the possibility of invoking a….Read more

Former U.S. Ambassador John Roos is now making his name as a venture capitalist. Taking advantage of personal connections he built during his tenure as the ambassador to Japan, Roos, together with Mitsubishi, launched “Geodesic Capital,” a venture capital firm in Silicon Valley that has already completed fund-raising. “The company will be a contact for Japanese businesses” in Silicon Valley – a global center for IT– Roos said.….Read more

In an exclusive interview with Nikkei, Jason Furman, chairman of the U.S. President’s Council of Economic Advisers, asked that Japan avoid a currency war.

Saturday evening’s Mainichi and Nikkei reported on a meeting in Chengdu, China, between Treasury Secretary Lew and Finance Minister Aso, during which Lew emphasized the importance of avoiding a currency war. He also said it is important for leading economies to mobilize all policy steps available, such as fiscal and financial policies and structural reforms, to support global economic growth.

Next year, the U.S. will take a tough stance toward Japan, regardless of whether Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton becomes the next president, particularly with regard to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), because both have indicated their opposition to the accord.

Opinion poll results showing that there are more British citizens who favor remaining in the European Union (EU) than those opting out were released on June 19. For Japan, this means that a situation of yen appreciation coupled with sagging stock prices brought about by Brexit may be avoided. However, the government and the Bank of Japan stand ready to….Read more

The yen exchange rate on June 16 surged by more than 2 yen to the 103-yen-to-a-dollar level with the Bank of Japan (BOJ) and the U.S. Federal Reserve Board (FRB) both foregoing monetary policy changes.

The governments of Japan and Thailand will jointly build large-scale auto testing facilities that will be the first of their kind in Thailand. The Thais will construct facilities according to a Japanese plan for test courses and crash-test machines in accordance with the quality standards of similar facilities in Japan. Japanese and other non-Japanese automakers in Thailand will share the….Read more