Japan s consumer confidence continues to worsen amid virus emergency
Japan s consumer confidence continued to worsen in January amid the government s latest state of emergency declaration to combat the coronavirus pandemic, government data showed Friday.
The seasonally adjusted index of sentiment among households made up of two or more people fell 2.2 points from the previous month to 29.6, the second straight month of declines, following a 1.9 point drop in December, according to the Cabinet Office.
A sign announcing shortened business hours at an entrance of a high-rise shopping mall in Nagoya is pictured Jan. 18, 2021. (Photo courtesy of JR Tokai Takashimaya Co.)(Kyodo)
Only 37% of firms met Japan gov t target of cutting commuters by 70%
Only around 37 percent of firms in Japanese prefectures under the current state of emergency have met the government s target of cutting commuters by 70 percent or more to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, a business lobby survey showed Friday.
Yasutoshi Nishimura, minister in charge of the government s coronavirus response, held a remote meeting with leaders of the country s largest business lobby Keidanren, which released the survey, and other major business bodies, and requested they push members to promote teleworking to help meet the target.
Nishimura said the number of people commuting decreased by 40 percent in the Tokyo metropolitan area based on calculations of train passengers and 30 percent in prefectures in western Japan. He emphasized the importance of meeting the government s target so the state of emergency, scheduled to expire Feb. 7, will not have to be extended longer than nec