Japanese Government's Financial Health

Like evaluating the financial position of companies using profit-loss statements and balance sheets, it is important to apply the same evaluation to the government. Some Japanese economists have consistently claimed that the financial situation of the Japanese government is good, citing substantial assets that exceed liabilities, including government bonds. Interestingly, these economists are in the minority. The majority, often seen as financial authorities, tend to focus only on the liability side while neglecting the asset side, thus emphasizing internally the poor financial condition. This approach raises doubts about whether such tactics are used to tactfully shape public opinion and justify increasing the burden on taxes and social security. On the other hand, externally, it has been publicly announced that the Japanese government's financial position is good in terms of the balance sheet, driven by the fear of a sovereign bond rating downgrade.

Popular posts from this blog

Mindfulness and the Alchemy of Happiness: Insights from Archbishop Ryokan Ara

Image
  The Archbishop of Tendai Buddhism, Ryokan Ara (1928-2019), once shared a perspective on the mind: “All things in this world arise from the mind, and the mind can change them. Both within this house and within this world, through this mind, they can become either hell or paradise.” All people live their lives with more or less pain and worry. This is what Buddhism calls “earthly desires”. Suffering and worries bring about a variety of painful emotions such as sadness, anger, envy, and anxiety, and instill “bad habits in the mind.” Therefore, since it is difficult for people to give up earthly desires as long as they are alive, Ryokan Ara proposed to reduce earthly desires by practicing “habits of a calm mind” that are good for the mind and soul. It emphasizes that nothing in this world is fixed forever and that things are always changing, so it is important to understand the truth by looking at things in a big-picture way. What is needed here is the mindset of not being particular...
Read more

From Dust to Mountains: The Power of Persistence and Passion

Image
  Even ordinary people can achieve great feats if they focus on something and continue to do it, as the Japanese proverb says, "Even dust, when piled up, becomes a mountain" (Many a little makes a mickle or Every little bit helps). For a simple and familiar example, even if we don't have the skills of a professional mountain climber, if we focus our minds and energy on climbing a relatively gentle mountain path step by step, we will often be surprised at how high we have climbed after a few hours. Additionally, as the Japanese saying goes, "Being fond of something makes one skilled at it" or "Love is what makes you good at something" (Practice makes perfect). If the proverbial "dust" in the former is something that we "like," even ordinary people can acquire knowledge and skills if they continue to do it for many years. It is possible. Of course, the time we have to do what we like in our daily life is limited, and it's importan...
Read more

The Role of Personal Feelings in Evaluating the Value of Goods and Services

Image
  It appears that people often use their personal feelings, particularly those of being "helpful" or "happy," as a yardstick for assessing the worth of products and services. These feelings can vary depending on the circumstances and timing, with changes occurring either broadly across a population or being specific to a select few. Given these dynamics, it is crucial for providers of goods and services to target people during specific moments and situations, discerning what evokes the strongest feelings of "helpfulness" and "happiness." This approach is pivotal for advancing value creation. Without this provider judgment being grounded in a commitment to genuinely benefiting people and society, sustainable growth cannot be anticipated.
Read more