Japan: Waiting for clarity may mean missing out

Some of those who have invested in Japan during the past 10 years or more could be forgiven for feeling jaded. The country's problems with long-term deflation, failed political reforms and an ageing population are all well documented. Japan's stock market had another bad year in 2007, with the Nikkei falling 6.6% in sterling terms. This year has hardly given much cause for confidence either, falling 5.0% year to date to 25 February when adjusted back into sterling. While Japan has largely avoided the fall-out from the sub-prime crisis because it has minimal exposure, fears of a global s...