PRESS CONFERENCE
Will Takaichi’s Growth Policies Work?
Richard Katz, Publisher, Japan Economy Watch

11:00-12:00 Tuesday, October 6, 2026
Language: The speech and Q & A will be in English.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has pledged to lift Japan onto a stronger growth path through an ambitious program of public and private investment, but will she succeed?

Veteran Japan analyst Richard Katz is deeply skeptical. He argues that her plan depends on companies investing trillions of yen despite having little commercial incentive to do so. He says Japan cannot achieve sustainable growth without closing the OECD’s widest gap between productivity and real-wage growth, which has depressed consumption, weakened the yen, and contributed to chronic budget deficits. At the same time, his message is not entirely bleak, as Katz sees grounds for hope in generational change, new technologies and the disruptive new companies.

Katz is someone to listen to. He is one of the most established foreign observers of the Japanese economy, having authored several books including “The Contest for Japan’s Economic Future” in addition to his current roles as publisher of Japan Economy Watch and special correspondent for Weekly Toyo Keizai.

Please join us to hear his insights into the prime minister's economic strategy as well as the future of the yen and a financial system that he says starves promising new businesses of capital.

How to attend: 
Please register by emailing front@fccj.or.jp with your name and the name of your media outlet. FCCJ members should also include their membership number. Doors will open 15 minutes before the event.

Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/c/FCCJchannel/live (Password required/ members only) Members should inform us in advance via email so we can send you the password.

How to ask questions: https://forms.gle/PiUThBZBvm64CeMk7

TV crew: Please make a reservation at front@fccj.or.jp. Doors open for TV crews only at 30 minutes before the event. FCCJ will limit live-streaming of FCCJ-hosted press conferences to Club members only. Non-members will no longer be permitted to live-stream these events. However, non-members may still film for reporting purposes and use footage after the press conference.

Professional Activities Committee