Just following up on Scott's point here, there is more news from Bloomberg this morning:
The yen traded near the weakest in more than four years versus the dollar and a record low against the euro on speculation Japanese workers being paid bonuses this month will invest overseas for higher returns. Finance companies will market more than 1.5 trillion yen ($12.1 billion) of foreign-currency investment trusts before the end of June, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The lowest borrowing costs in the industrialized world have prompted investors to take out loans in Japan to buy higher-yielding securities in so-called carry trades.
Workers in private companies are expected to receive summer bonuses totaling 15.6 trillion yen, up 3.1 percent from a year earlier, according to Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting Co., Ltd. Per-worker bonuses may average 423,000 yen, up 1.7 percent from a year earlier, said senior economist Shinichiro Kobayashi.
Japan Real Time Charts and Data
Edward Hugh is only able to update this blog from time to time, but he does run a lively Twitter account with plenty of Japan related comment. He also maintains a collection of constantly updated Japan data charts with short updates on a Storify dedicated page Is Japan Once More Back in Deflation?
