from the September 30 Nikkei

ローソンが成城石井買収　５５０億円　再編、業種超え加速　スーパー―に本格進出

It is learned that a convinience store operator LAWSON, Inc. will acquire a high-quality supermmarket operator Seijo Ishii,which is based in Yokohama. The value of this deal is estimated to be about \55 billion. This move means LAWSON wants to enter into the supermarket business. Under the circumstances that in the retail industry there will be a maket contraction due to depopulation and also a negative impact by the upcoming consumption tax hike following the last April's hike , it is sure that realignment across the sectors will get momentum from now on.

from today's Nikkei

医師以外も病院トップに　特区で追加緩和　経営を効率化　

Concerning the government-promoted deregulation, we have come to know about the second version of its draft. According to a draft idea, it woule be possible for even a person having no license for a doctor to asume the top position of a medical corporation when it is located within a deregualted, special zone. This is aimed at making Japan's medical insitutions' management more efficient by making use of the expertise of persons who have no doctor license but have a good sense of business management.

from the October 1 Nikkei

東京、国際金融都市に再生　　特区活用　三菱地所など　環境整備　外資系呼び込む

Eestablishing the state strategic zone in the Tokyo Metropolitan area is deemed as one of the centerpieces of the growth strategies by the Abe Administration.Yesterday, on September 30, the outline of the business initiative designed for its Tokyo special zone was made public. According to the outline , the private entities like Mitsubishi Estate and Mitsui Fudosan will take part in the initiative and they will create the international business hubs by making the best of 11 locations in Tokyo and Yokohama. Creating the environment where many foreign financial institutions are easy to come there is also included in the business outline. So this is tantamount to what makes Tokyo be resuscinated as an international financial city.

from thr October 3 Nikkei

有給休暇　企業の義務に　　長時間労働を是正　厚生省検討　まず数日分　１６年春施行めざす

According to sources, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has decided to start to discuss how to create the enviromment in the workplace where companies' employees can take their paid holidays more easily than the present. So the ministry will revise the present Labor Standard Law so that having emplyees take more than a decided level of paid holidays in each company should be mandatory for employers. And at the same time the ministry is eager to reduce working hours in the workplace in Japan in general. With these in mind , the ministry is pushing forward with the necessary procedure so this legal framework will be taken into effect in fiscal 2016.

from the October 2 Nikkei article

景気回復　なお鈍く　設備投資・賃上げカギ　短期、小幅な改善　円安、中小に重荷

Japan's economy is not yet on a good recovery track half a year after the consumption tax hike in April. According to the Bank of Japan's September survey of Tankan, or the short-term business survey of enterprises in Japan,released on Ocotber 1, it is learned that peopel in major companies have confidence their businesses are picking up, and in some indexes there are some improvement, but business sentiment as a whole is not so good.

What's more, on September 1, the yen was weakened to 110 dollars, the weakest ever over the past 6 years, which means to weigh on small and mid-sized companies and households in terms of costs, or fears for higher costs.

Given the present circumstances in which Japan's economy lies, the key points are investment by companies and wage hikes, both of which can enhance domestic demand and lead to economic expansion.