Economic history of Japan

Japan's six-month current account surplus quadruples

Japan said Nov. 10 its current account surplus more than quadrupled in the six months to September thanks to an improving trade picture and buoyant returns on the country's investments abroad.

The 8.7 trillion yen ($70.7 billion) figure for April-September - the first half of the fiscal year - was well up from the 2.0 trillion yen a year earlier, according to official data.

Zero applicants for Japan plan to promote women at work

Not one Japanese company applied for a subsidy program aimed at promoting more women to senior jobs, an official said Sept. 28, an embarrassing blow for Tokyo's push to boost the economy with female workers.

Hundreds of firms had been expected to apply for cash rewards in exchange for reaching targets to place women in high-ranking jobs and train female workers for senior positions.

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