 Japan's economy suffered a big blow in the triple earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster, but the country should have no problem financing reconstruction, the central bank chief said. Bank of Japan Governor Masaaki Shirakawa conceded problems in the economic supply chain, power generation, tourism and other important sectors. But he said the financial system could cope.
 The prospect of extended supply disruption caused by Japan's devastating earthquake drove prices for key technology parts higher on Tuesday. If the supply chain is broken for even a few weeks, the impact could be felt in higher prices or shortages of gadgets such as tablets, smartphones and computers for months to come. Japan is a dominant chip industry player, with around one-fifth of the world's semiconductor production.
Don't bank on a Japanese Debt Crisis yet 03/17/2011
 As Japan reels in the aftermath of the most powerful earthquake in its history and worries grow about a nuclear reactor meltdown, some economists wonder whether the disaster will push the country closer to a sovereign debt crisis, too. There's a tug of war happening right now between investors who are buying Japanese government bonds (JGBs) as a safer alternative to the sinking stock market, and investors who are buying credit default swaps on JGBs because they believe the country is will soon default on its debt.
Japanese Web Outlook for 2011 01/19/2011
 Last year saw many changes for Japanese Internet users as people began to shift from Japanese social networks to international ones, and from regular cellphones to smart phones. The international influence was felt in other web-based areas too. So what can we expect for 2011?
Economy: The Japan Myth 01/13/2011
 The first decade of this century started with the so-called dot-com bubble. When it burst, central banks moved aggressively to ease monetary policy in order to prevent a prolonged period of Japanese-style slow growth. But the prolonged period of low interest rates that followed the 2001 recession instead contributed to the emergence of another bubble, this time in real estate and credit.
This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.  Psychological research suggests the new look was designed with an eye on China--and beyond. Was last week's redesign of the Starbucks logo an unmitigated disaster (cf. Gap, Tropicana), or a surprisingly canny move? There's always the hue and cry of the blogosphere to gauge a quick reaction, but for a more measured approach, we have something called science. Male Consumers grab Goods to keep Warm 01/07/2011
 More male consumers this winter are buying clothes and food that help them stay warm. While women in general are considered more vulnerable to cold weather, many men have become less tolerant, pundits say, leading to increased sales of such items as "haramaki," or belly warmers, and food products that use ginger and chili pepper. Japan creates 1st Artificial Rare Metal 12/31/2010
 As first in the world, Japanese researchers have produced a new alloy similar to the rare metal palladium, a breakthrough that could help alleviate the nation's dependence on other countries for this resource. The alloy was produced with nanotechnology and has properties similar to those of palladium, a rare metal located between rhodium and silver on the periodic table of the elements. Led by Prof. Hiroshi Kitagawa of Kyoto University, the research team also produced alternatives to other kinds of rare metals.
How to struggle with Bilinguality, part 2 12/25/2010
 The main problem with Japan's English-language education lies in its sterile approach to words, as if a grasp of their exact meaning is sufficient preparation for understanding and speaking the language. It isn't. You can't look at a box of paint tubes and visualize a Rembrandt. Words have no meaning outside the context of culture, history and the personalities of native speakers. How to struggle with Bilinguality? 12/20/2010
 To continue or not continue? That seems to be the question facing a good 10 percent of the Japanese population. These are people grappling with the horns of an ornery dilemma. An estimated 1 in 10 Japanese of school age and above are said to be immersing themselves in the study of the English language.
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