By David Hodgson -- Japan’s Expanding Market for Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare -- People of 75 years or older consume 28% of drugs in Japan. So, demographic trends are likely to drive growth in consumption of pharmaceuticals. The Japanese drugs market is ¥6 trillion, growing by ¥500 billion each year. The current ¥33 trillion total medical market in Japan is set to increase to ¥69 trillion by 2025 without cost reduction measures.

By David Hodgson

Opportunities and risks in the Japanese stockmarket

The Kyoto Protocol obliges governments to cut greenhouse gases. With oil over US$70 a barrel, we are likely to see a replay of what happened after the 1970s oil shocks. Market forces are likely to lead to increasing use of more fuel-efficient cars, solar power, liquid natural gas (LNG) and nuclear power to reduce emissions. Japan has world-leading companies in auto fuel-efficiency, solar power, LNG plant engineering and nuclear power.