Date : July 20 - 30, 2016
Fellowship Program: Canada, Financial Post, John Shmuel, Investing Reporter
post date : 2016.09.09
As part of the 2016–2017 FPCJ Fellowship Program, investing reporter John Shmuel of Canada’s Financial Post visited Japan from July 20 to July 30, 2016.
The Financial Post is a business paper with its head office in Toronto. Although it was originally a separate newspaper, the Financial Post is now printed as the business section of the National Post, one of Canada’s two national newspapers.
Mr. Shmuel usually covers the capital markets and the U.S. and Canadian economies out of Toronto. This trip was the first time he had come to Japan, and he looked at the current situation from a number of angles in order to increase his understanding of the Japanese economy.
He was especially interested in the progress of Abenomics and the effect on the market of the negative interest rate introduced by the Bank of Japan in January of this year. He spoke with people including a former Minister of State for Financial Services, a former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Japan, and a private-sector economist about these topics.
Mr. Shmuel was also interested in Japanese responses to the labor shortage caused by the declining birthrate and aging population, such as encouraging more women to join the workforce, hiring senior workers, hiring foreign workers, and using robots. He interviewed experts for each of these options, as well as visiting a business hotel which received an award from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare as an example of a business hiring senior workers. He also visited a nursing home, an industry which is facing a severe labor shortage, and saw how a variety of robots are used to help workers provide care.
(Recreational activities using PALRO) (Trying on the Exo Muscle)
On the theme of trade between Japan and Canada, he spoke with representatives of JETRO, Keidanren (Japan Business Federation), and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Japan about the history of trade between the two countries and the importance of economic partnerships.
*Articles written based on this trip are linked below.
"Trapped by its past success, Japan aims to fix economy with Abenomics’ ‘three arrows’" （8/11/2016）
“Japan in transition: Rest of world watches as country tries negative interest rates to spur economy” （8/15/2016）
“Japan in transition: The world’s biggest mobilization of elderly workers is underway” （8/16/2016）
“Japan in transition: Economic realities mean Japan must confront its reluctance to accept immigrants" （8/17/2016）
“Japan in transition: How Canada could become a more important trading partner with Japan” （8/19/2016）
"Are Western nursing homes ready for Japan’s humanoid robots?"(9/14/2016)