China should still set the pace, while Japan could see a rebound at last.
This year, the U.S. lost 18.5% of its HNWIs, while Japan lost just 10%.
While Japan muddles along disappointingly, the rate of decline of Asia's smaller economies continues to exceed expectations.
While Japan's banking system remains crippled, faster growth in the monetary base does not boost bank lending.
The momentum continued in Asia, Europe and the United States, while Japan returned to growth over the period.
Most Asian markets were closed for the Lunar New Year holiday, while Japan was shut for National Foundation Day.
Switzerland must lose their final two games against semi-final chasing Germany and bottom-of-the-table United States, while Japan are in contention.
South Korea's Kospi gained 0.3% to 1957.18, while Japan's Nikkei Stock Average fell 0.4% to 8849.47 after a mildly positive open.
While Japan was the victim of nuclear holocaust it did not have nuclear weapons and was not in a position to retaliate.
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Ironically, at the time corporate raiders burst on the scene, the U.S. economy seemed to be stuck in a rut while Japan was ascendant.
But the big difference is that South Korea's economy seems to be recovering quickly from recession, while Japan's continues to languish in the doldrums.
As a net oil exporter, Canada is severely hurt by declines in oil, while Japan, a major net oil importer, tends to benefit.
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While Japan and South Korea are co-operating over travel, security and other arrangements, this still looks like two World Cups running in parallel, rather than a unified tournament.
The market for Japanese food imports in India is pretty small, so unclear whether this means other countries will be called to supply India while Japan is off limits.
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In particular, revenues from China are up 67 percent year-over-year to 6.8 billion, while Japan and Asia Pacific are up 88 and 89 percent, respectively, just from last quarter.
In Asia, China's Shanghai Composite slipped 0.3%, weighed down by Europe, while Japan's Nikkei Stock Average gained 0.6% after the Bank of Japan eased monetary policy by expanding its asset-purchase program.
While Japan and South Korea indicated they might support a regional initiative to sway Pyongyang, China -- a key ally and aid donor to the North -- appeared to remain unconvinced.
The primary cause for this difference in debt-holding is that the US has been running a current account deficit for years, while Japan has historically always exported more than it imports.
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However, analysts say that while Japan needs consumer price growth and such a move by the central bank may help achieve it, a sudden jump in inflation may hurt the country.
While Japan was investing in high-tech industries the United States was simultaneously accelerating the financialization of its economy, creating trillions of dollars of paper wealth that has largely vanished over the last two years.
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On Wednesday, All Nippon Airways said it had replaced batteries 10 times over the past few months, while Japan Airlines said it had done so in a "few cases" over the past few months.
Motorola, an American mobile-phone company, one of the biggest foreign investors in China, has restricted travel to affected areas, while Japan's Honda is evacuating families of its Japanese employees deemed to be at risk.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index and the Shanghai Composite Index each gained 1.2%, to 18256.20 and 2412.39, respective, while Japan's Nikkei Stock Average and South Korea's Kospi each rose 2.3%, to 8477.82 and 1856.52, respectively.
Quail Hollow champion Rickie Fowler also shot 69 to be third on five-under 211, one ahead of Woods, while Japan's Ryo Ishikawa was tied for fifth on 213 with Sweden's Henrik Stenson and American Jonathan Byrd.
Throughout Asia, trade to China has gone from 2.2 percent in 1991 to 24.4 percent today while Japan accounted for 22.4 percent of Asian trade and is now down to 13 percent, according to the U.N.
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So in talks last week, due to re-convene later this month, the two sides moved towards a compromise, simply increasing the number of services the Americans can fly into Japan, while Japan gets more gateways into America.
China and many export-dependent economies in the region could loosen fiscal policy, while Japan's central bank could boost its asset purchases, he said, adding that efforts to trim external surpluses would reduce exposure to outside risks and support global growth.
While Japan's professional teams are owned by corporations and the league is arguably "too Japanese" ever to resemble the more individualistic ways of the U.S., the sport in China is in its infancy and could mature closer to the U.S. model.
While Japan suffered the direct impact of a massive tsunami, which also caused a nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, the U.S. saw production hit by supply chain disruptions, as Japan provides many of the intermediate goods needed to build cars. (Read Bernanke Fed Blames Commodities And Japan For Soft Patch).
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While in Japan visiting customers, I met a brilliant project leader for a Japanese engineering firm who told me about how she has eliminated project-related emails by using their project management software.
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