No.49
>The hit from an April sales tax hike turned out to be bigger than expected, the revised gross domestic product data indicated, underscoring the challenges Abe and the Bank of Japan face in pulling the world's third-largest economy sustainably out of deflation.
>The revision to an annualized 1.9 percent contraction from a preliminary 1.6 percent fall confirmed Japan slipped into recession and confounded a Reuters poll projecting a 0.5 percent contraction.
No.51
He's going to lose the snap elections, calling it.
No.57
>people thinking da economy broke cos the sales tax hike
The efficacy of the tax aside, the Yen was deliberately being devalued by the Japanese central bank. They want to spur consumer spending.
Fuck Abe.
No.58
>>57As much as this is true there is an even bigger motivation behind this. Japanese pensions are not indexed to inflation and there is no way they will be able to honor their commitment at he current currency level. If they debase the currency down further and further they can maintain the confidence in government by honoring pensions (which keeps people from revolting) but not need to pay as much. It's at least 1:1.
No.62
Scarecrows outnumber people in dying Japan townhttp://news.yahoo.com/scarecrows-outnumber-people-dying-japan-town-113107267.html
>This village deep in the rugged mountains of southern Japan once was home to hundreds of families. Now, only 35 people remain, outnumbered three-to-one by scarecrows that Tsukimi Ayano crafted to help fill the days and replace neighbors who died or moved away.
>The closure of the local elementary school two years ago was the last straw. Ayano unlocks the door and guides visitors through spotless classrooms populated with scarecrow students and teachers. No.65
>>62that sounds like something from a Junji Ito story.