Matsuyama’s Paper among 50 Most Cited in Journal of Economy Theory’s History
Chief Scientific Adviser Matsuyama Appointed Resident Scholar of Chicago Fed
Are Government Forecasts Too Optimistic?
The tendency for the government economic outlook to be rosier than those announced by the Bank of Japan and private forecasters has grown stronger since 2013, when Abenomics was launched.
In an article in the January/February 2022 issue of Japan Spotlight, Research Director Nobuo Iizuka compares the various projections over the past several years and notes that the trend is likely to continue for the outlook in 2022.
He points out, though, that CPI forecasts by the government are for all items, while the BOJ and private-sector projections exclude fresh foods.
“Comparing the Japanese Economic Outlooks of the Government, Bank of Japan & Private Sector,” Japan Spotlight
Medical Attention Can Be Elusive for COVID Patients, Shibuya Tells Bloomberg
A dysfunctional healthcare system in Japan, with many hospitals refusing to admit COVID patients despite the availability of beds, is forcing those infected to stay at hotels that have been converted into makeshift health centers.
In other countries, “when you are tested positive for Covid-19, you get medical attention right away,” Research Director Kenji Shibuya told Bloomberg News. “In Japan, public health center workers are making medical decisions until patients are severely ill and taken to hospitals. It’s a political failure that the nation can’t prepare hospital beds for them.”
“Covid Patients in Japan Are Recovering in Robot-Staffed Hotels,” Bloomberg
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-12-07/japan-s-health-care-dysfunction-forces-hotels-into-covid-duty
Shibuya Says Border Controls to Prevent Omicron “Just Buy Time”
The Japan government has announced the closure of its borders to new foreign arrivals, and its own citizens must isolate on arrival from countries where the omicron variant has been found.
In an article published by Bloomberg News, Research Director Kenji Shibuya notes that “Border controls just buy us time,” adding that Japan “should do whatever it takes to prevent the spread of the variant.”
“Japan to Halt Entry by New Foreigners on Omicron Fears,” Bloomberg News
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-11-29/japan-to-shut-borders-to-foreign-visitors-on-omicron-ntv-says
Use our e-mail form to interview a research fellow or make an inquiry.
