The Independent looks at investing in Japan, and the risks involved given the Nikkei’s rocky history since 1989. Included are fund recommendations for those interested in Japanese investment.

Women have been taking up stock trading, traditionally dominated by men, in increasing numbers in recent years, according to a Reuters report, with Internet trading and the market’s strong performance credited for the trend.

The Nikkei has again risen to new heights since Koizumi took office with a close of 14,623.12 on Friday, the highest finish in nearly five years. Kyodo News has the full report. And in other news, the Koizumi administration is taking credit for it.

Also see the report from Mainichi News.

In contrast to the fairly optimistic outlooks we’ve seen in other reports, Bloomberg News tells a more cautionary tale, predicting that the stock rally may be coming to an end due to sales by pension funds and insurance companies.

The Yomiuri Shimbun has some prospective analysis of the economic revival underway–with the Nikkei expected to reach 15,000 by the end of the year–and the central role that the Koizumi administration’s reforms are expected to play in the revival. Unfortunately, as is all too common in such pieces, explanations of how exactly the reforms will impact the economy is lacking, an omission that tends to lead readers to believe “reform is good” without ever understanding why, or where the problems were in the first place. Perhaps my standards are too high for this sort of article, though.

The Nikkei stock index closed above 14,000 points for the first time in four and a half years on Friday. This exceeds the level at the start of the Koizumi administration, part of a growth trend in the last few months after two years of decline.

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