Looking at the weight of East Asian economies in exports from Japan, it has increased from 30 percent in 1990 to 40 percent in 2000, and further up to 51 percent in 2009 (Slide 17). The weight of Asia in foreign direct investment from Japan has also been increasing steadily. As such, Japan’s relationship with Asian economies has been deepening further.
I take this opportunity to also thank the Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economic Empowerment for the close collaboration and support, which has helped enormously to maintain confidence in the economy and give it a much-needed sense of direction and cohesion in these troubled times. 4  BIS Review 145/2009