Travel agencies and import shops are making active plans to return profit from the strong yen.
Most of the Japanese large enterprises are export-oriented firms, so the stock market is moved from joy to sorrow by stock price fluctuations.

According to a historical chronology the bank of Japan, exchange rate was introduced in Japan in 1949.
It was in 4 years from the end of World War 2.
Yen has started 360yen per dollar which was a fixed exchange rate.
Then it has passed the Smithsonian Agreement and became to the floating exchange rate in 1973.
With the growth of Japanese companies, Yen has risen since the postwar reconstruction.
And as the export volume increases, the stronger the yen became. And as a result, the strong yen seems to have made a decrease in profits for Japanese companies.

But our country depends on also imports for resources.
There are many kinds of the imported goods, for example electric machines and foods.
I don’t think the strong yen has only bad things because we can buy the imported goods at a low price.
Moreover, export companies of Japan are supported by technical innovations and their big appeal must not be only low prices.
Therefore now I think if people prevent themselves from buying any goods on the world economic deterioration, it would be connected with a more serious situation than the strong yen.

On newspapers and daily TV shows, we see nothing but lockouts, layoffs and wages cut for the restructuring flood of large companies.
We want an economic countermeasure of Government immediately.
And I would like watch how Japanese companies will overcome this economic crisis, and also think what I can do as an individual.

But nowadays, it seems to be a little quiet, especially at midnight.
I can hear the whisper of the wind in the night trees.
Why is it?

The reason is clear.
Cars have hidden from the streets.
First, a lot of people stopped using cars since oil cost has been soaring in autumn 2007.
Next, people felt the economic downturn by hearing the media report of the Lehman Brothers bankrupt and stock plunge in September 2008.
Even auto industries announced a huge decrease in profits this term.
Toyota has turned 70%down and Nissan turned 40%down.
Also the US Big Three automakers asked for help to the government.
It will be a continuous and difficult financial situation for the auto industry along with the world wide earth environmental protection trend.

Worldwide depression has brought pollution and noise decrease.
We could see wonderful red leaves and beautiful blue skies this year in Tokyo.
I don’t know why I feel anxieties by these beautiful scenes. Is that because I am a city dweller?

by a sketcher