According to Kyodo news, Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said over the weekend, “the new coronavirus is having a major impact on tourism, the economy and our society as a whole. The government will do its utmost to address the impact.” He asked “ministers to compile measures to use reserves and implement them as soon as possible.”
Abe emphasized the necessity to ensure that Japanese residents have access to medical checkups and masks. But no further details about the measures were given.
Released from Japan today, bank lending rose 1.9% yoy in January, matched expectations. Current account surplus narrowed slightly to JPY 1.71T in December, above expectation of JPY 1.68T.
