Showing 1 - 6 of 6
Is Takaichi Sanae the 'Iron Lady' of Japan?
Oped, Koichi Hamada, Published on 10/11/2025
» For the first time in its history, Japan's parliament has selected a woman, Takaichi Sanae of the Liberal Democratic Party, to be prime minister. In this sense, Ms Takaichi has already followed in the footsteps of her political idol, Margaret Thatcher -- the UK's first female PM. But whether she is remembered as Japan's own "Iron Lady" will depend on her ability to manage three key challenges: inflation, low female labour-force participation and a fraught geopolitical environment.
Monetary policy really needs to tighten in Japan
Oped, Koichi Hamada, Published on 12/11/2024
» Last month, returning to Japan for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic, I was struck by how significantly prices had increased. In February 2020, a simple lunch in downtown Tokyo cost about JP¥1,000, then the equivalent of about $10 (324 baht); today, it costs more like JP¥2,000. To some extent, this mirrors the experience in the US, where, even as inflation moderates, prices remain well above their pre-pandemic levels. The difference is that Japan has also experienced a sharp currency depreciation, which benefits foreign visitors: that JP¥2,000 bill translated to just $13.
Should fiscal policy resemble private budgets?
News, Koichi Hamada, Published on 06/11/2023
» Every few months this year, the US government appears on the verge of shutting down. It happened in May, when congressional Republicans initially refused to raise the debt ceiling, and in September, when Congress managed to avert a last-minute shutdown by passing a stopgap bill to keep the federal government open until Nov 17.
Is Taiwan going to be the next Ukraine?
Oped, Koichi Hamada, Published on 09/07/2022
» Russia's brutal war on Ukraine is, most observers agree, an assault on democracy, sovereignty and human rights. For the United States and its Nato allies, the Kremlin's aggression demands a powerful response, including unprecedented economic sanctions against Russia and huge amounts of military aid to Ukraine.
The fiscal fight against Covid-19
News, Koichi Hamada, Published on 05/03/2020
» As the new Covid-19 coronavirus continues to spread rapidly outside China, medical professionals and policymakers around the world are fighting to contain the outbreak. But what role can or should governments play in this situation -- or, for that matter, when natural disasters strike?
How can we retain the benefits of globalisation?
Asia focus, Koichi Hamada, Published on 16/07/2018
» In the last few years, for many people and their leaders, globalisation has become a scourge to be purged in favour of greater protectionism and unilateralism. This represents a sharp departure from the recent past, when globalisation was widely regarded as a positive force. What changed, and why?