Bigger than both of us: Kobe can be fixed, but what about Japan?

Article Abstract:

The earthquake that struck Kobe, Japan, in Jan 1995 has caused supply problems nationwide and complicates a nascent economic recovery. The Tokyo stockmarket plunged a week after the tremors, partly reflecting a new international awareness of Japan's vulnerability to quakes. A large one is likely to hit Tokyo in the next decade. Japan will certainly spend huge sums to repair damage and strengthen infrastructure elsewhere, but that will raise interest rates and may not counterbalance consumer spending reductions.

Kobe, Japan, Earthquake, 1995

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Think positive

Article Abstract:

Japan's Economic Planning Agency has forecast an unrealistic 3.3% growth in gross national product (GNP) for FY 1993. Because the GNP shrank at an annual rate of 2% in 1st qtr 1993 many people are predicting a fiscal year GNP contraction. The appreciation of the Yen, weak capital investment and low consumer demand are resulting in a lower trade-volume surplus for Japan, though the surplus remains large in terms of dollars. Government steps to resolve Japan's economic woes are discussed.

Analysis, Foreign investments, Gross national product

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Out of gangland: a glut of illegal guns worries the authorities

Article Abstract:

Rising numbers of illegal handguns and their increasing use by non-gangsters are inciting fears that Japan's non-violent tradition may be threatened. Seizures of illegal guns are up 80% since 1990, but 30,000 to 50,000 are entering the country annually. A police squeeze on gangsters with guns also led many to sell their weapons on the black market, reducing prices and increasing accessibility. Foreign travel is another factor, as guns are readily available for less money overseas.

Statistics, Crime, Gun control

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