Similar to China's discouraging demographics released last week, Japan faces the big challenge of an ageing population that isn't replacing itself.
Japanese equities rallied and the yen suddenly sold off as punters who predicted the end of easy money in Japan had their fingers singed.
The price-hike fever that's been making consumers queasy appears to have broken in the Asia Pacific region's major economies.
Asian equities are at half-year highs, and appear set to proceed higher.
Check out these five currency plays, four of them in Asia, as ways to make the most of the weakening U.S. dollar and greater interest in emerging-market stocks.
Entering 2023, we can feel inflation easing and are watching for long-term gain from the removal of zero-Covid in China, even if it results in short-term pain.
The Bank of Japan shocked world markets with a tweak of its super-easy monetary policy, pushing yen gains that are likely to be sustained in 2023.
The Bank of Japan move had a negative impact on longer dated non-Japanese sovereign debt as well.
Let's check the Nikkei Average and the broader Topix Average.
Here's why this more hawkish policy may actually turn out to be more of a positive than a negative.