In the wake of his reinstatement as leader of the Liberal Democratic Party for another three-year term, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plans to reshuffle his Cabinet and LDP executive posts possibly in early October as part of efforts to push forward his economic program.

The Japan Post initial public offering could be just what the doctor ordered to enliven the country’s stagnant banking sector.

The Bank of Japan refrains from boosting stimulus even though the economy shrank in the last quarter.

Standard & Poor’s has cut the nation’s long-term credit rating one level to A+, saying it sees little chance of the government’s current strategy accelerating growth and inflation over the next few years.  Downgrade not thought to matter much.

The Bank of Japan’s closely watched tankan survey of business sentiment, due out Oct. 1, is expected to show the first decline in three quarters.