[mojito]

Demographic decline meets economic decline.

[Aquinasfan]

Many predicted it would grow in the April-June period amid aggressive stimulus steps by the government

This sounds vaguely familiar. Is this like Obama's plan to write IOU's to ourselves?

[gondramB]

And not by coincidence, the Yen is the only currency dropping against the dollar.

[ClearCase_guy]

Darn that Bush!

[Woebama]

I’ve never seen anything like a 15.2% drop in a major economy. That’s disastrous.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

But the results fell within expectations, and recent signs point to a brighter outlook in the months ahead, said Fumiyuki Hussein Nakanishi, chief equity strategist at SMBC Friend Securities in Tokyo.

[PGR88]

“Demographic decline meets economic decline.”

The country is a world-beater in technology and manufacturing, it has little crime, its people are highly educated, hard-working and polite, it has gobs of national savings - yet it’s economy is declining as if in war.

Given that Japan also allows little immigration, it may be the purest specimen available of what demographic decline will do to a nation and an economy

[griswold3]

I agree with the demographics discussion. But one fact about Japan’s 10 year stagflation hasn’t been discussed. In 1993, the Socialist Party has been running the country. When you have socialism, there’s no incentive for growth.

[bethybabes69]

One has to wonder too, if Japan will ever fully re-grasp their recent market share of exports?

It's hard to believe that China will not challenge them for market share on any consumer product exports they possibly can, with Beijings' social problems associated with decline of Chinese exports of tat to the West during this downturn.

Japan will still have their blue-chip products in Toyota, Honda and such, but their mainstream electronics exports could come under serious threat from desperate Chinese manufacturers.

Japan might have to seriously reconsider their stance in World economic circles should this happen.

[bert]

The rate of decline of the American economy in the first quarter was at a 6.1% annual rate.

[TChris]

Many predicted it would grow in the April-June period amid aggressive stimulus steps by the government and signs that companies are boosting production....

Darned Keynesian BS still won't work.

Maybe we should just try it again, only spend MORE money this time! That's sure to work.