It was a Yomiuri extra that I knew that Tokyo has been awarded the 2020 (32th) Summer Olympic Games at the International Olympic Committee’s general meeting in Buenos Aires in the morning on Aug. 8, Sunday. There is 12 hour time difference. Therefore, the ordinary daily newspapers didn’t take it up at all.
There were the pros and cons of hosting the Olympic Games in Tokyo. I would like to express my gratitude to the International Olympic Committee to have chosen Tokyo to host the 2020 Olympic Games. No doubt that to host Olympic Games will ensure the promotion of reconstruction of East Japan Great Earthquake and the smooth solution of the social problems such as highly radioactive water at the nuclear power station. It will be a good chance for Japanese to slough an introverted character and it will be an effective stimulus especially for youth. It will be useful power for Japanese to get rid of an introverted character by irresistibly seeing many visiting foreigners in Japan. It will be also a great chance to get foreigners understand Japan and Japanese if as many foreigners as possible come to Japan for 7 years before 2020. We are just as we are. No need to make us look nicely and dressed up in good clothes. I want them to see Japanese as we really are so that they could experience peaceful Japan to their hearts’ content. I believe that Japan and Japanese could dispatch something better to the world if visiting foreigners could feel “Japanese Omoiyari” of caring about people.
According to the world tourism ranking (2010) Japan is 30th with 8.61 million. No.1 is France with 76. 8 million, No.2 USA 59.74 million, No.3 China with 55.65 million. The vigorous Korea is 27th with 8.79 million. Spain and Turkey are 4th with 52.67 million and 7th with 27 million respectively. They are countries that compete for hosting Olympic Games of 2020 with Japan. Japan has not been well known by people in the world comparing with the number of the tourist to Spain and Turkey. On the other hand the number of Japanese tourists to overseas was the historical highest, 18.49 million in 2012. Japan should come through with people in the world because valuable opportunity of hosting Olympic Games is given Japan. Japanese should not be satisfied with the present life and positively communicate with foreigners to convey heart of Japanese. They will surely open their mind.
Europe economy seems to have touched the bottom and USA economy has been recovering steadily and vigorously. Favorable circulation of salary raise connecting to brisk consumption and related to sales up and finally increasing production caused by the 3rd growth strategy of Abenomics would be highly expected. Japan should aggressively act as one of leaders to recover the world economy.
Consumption tax to be raised to 8% in April 2014 and 10% in October 2015. I will fully agree to raise in consumption tax if it will be used for medical fee for elderly people and pensioners for living peacefully. On the other hand, I really wish government to seriously tackle to reduce the current national debt of over 1,000 trillion yen. It would be no problem at all if good times might help to lessen it. However, lack of policy like the attitude of waiting good times would drive Japan to a corner. It has been obvious if you see the past 20 years after the collapse of the bubble economy.
There seems to exist new containers of 800,000teu in the China factory of which 70% belongs to leasing companies. New container price is around $2,100 per 20f. Utilization of leasing company seems still over 90%. Major leasing companies try to diversify different sort of containers for better fund management. Textainer entered in Reefer Container in 2008. They bought Trifleet, European tank leasing company this year and starts in tank business.
3 leasing companies, Textainer, TAL, CAI who are listed in New York Stock Exchange show that their fleet growth of 1st half of this year increased 10~20% comparing with the same period of the last year. However, their invest fund of this year decreased 35~44% in the same period last year. Invest fund seems to have made little progress these years. From next year on shipping lines seem to have been slowing down in investing the mega containerships. Therefore, they may start to buy more aggressively own new containers. On the contrary shipping lines will count on less L/T. ,so leasing companies have to secure the new source of earning by diversifying investment outlet. Otherwise, major leasing companies would rapidly decline in growth rate, earning rate and they would face the serious turning point. They may hold large number of old containers in their system if they fail to land safely. If they dump large number of old containers into 2nd hand market the price of old containers will possibly collapse. It is very important for them to secure steady buyers in advance.
In order to regain the power of Master Lease leasing companies should restructure Master Lease. They should make it more attractive to shipping lines. And then they should attain the fair rate of Master Lease in cooperation with shipping lines. It would not be built a day. I sincerely request leasing companies should rack their brains to make Master Lease look more attractive. Leasing companies have been heavily rely on long terms and have neglected the service oriented Master Lease before. Thus, lease companies should endeavor to make Master Lease more attractive to shipping lines and make it more profitable to leasing companies.