Japan Economy Improvement:

 https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20201030/p2g/00m/0bu/040000c

Article:

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's industrial output rose 4.0 percent in September from the previous month for the fourth straight month of increase, propelled by the auto sector's continued recovery from the impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic, government data showed Friday.

The seasonally adjusted index of production at factories and mines stood at 91.6 against the 2015 base of 100, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said in a preliminary report.

The result followed a downwardly revised 1.0 percent increase in August.

The ministry retained its assessment, saying industrial output is "picking up."

"Demand for manufacturing has been recovering as economic activities have resumed, with businesses also planning strong output in October," a ministry official said.

But it will still take time for the output index to return to the pre-coronavirus reading of 95.8 in March, with the spread of the virus ongoing, the official added.

Based on a poll of manufacturers, the ministry expects output to increase 4.5 percent in October and 1.2 percent in November.

Ideas:

No doubt the Japanese economy and especially the manufacturing sector will continue to improve over time.

The output index might not reach the pre-pandemic level anytime soon because of potential supply chain challenges.

As demand in the US and China continue to recover Japan's automakers will begin to see higher production levels compare to the spring and early summer.

The services sector of course is way behind the manufacturing sector as people/customers/consumers are still hesitant to go like they did before the pandemic.

Article:

Production in the auto industry gained 10.9 percent in September, remaining the biggest contributor to the index's rise as carmakers saw a recovery in demand both in Japan and abroad.

Manufacturers of production machinery, including chip-making devices and excavation machines, advanced 11.1 percent, while makers of electrical machinery and information and communication electronics equipment saw a 4.8 percent rise.

However, makers of general-purpose and business-oriented machinery, including parts for boilers and cranes for transport, saw a 7.0 percent decline.

Private-sector economists said output posted a recovery in the reporting month thanks to a strong rebound in car exports to the United States, but the level remains far off the pre-pandemic mark of 99.8 in January.

"Going forward, companies are expected to resume capital investments in areas such as information technology and robotics that have been postponed due to the pandemic," said Takuji Aida, chief Japan economist at Societe Generale Securities Japan Ltd.

A pick-up of such spending by the high-tech sector will contribute to a rise in the industrial production index, Aida said.

According to the ministry, the index of industrial shipments climbed 3.8 percent to 90.4, while that of inventories fell 0.3 percent to 97.7 percent.

Ideas:

The rebound might not reach the pre-pandemic levels for some time because of challenges  with supply chains. 

While it hasn't been reported exactly yet, in the large US ports there are shortages of workers for unloading the large container ships. 

Most likely the situation might be similar in China.

Capital investments too may take some time to recover too.

The biggest challenges related to all of the production sectors is global supply chains which are not at 100 percent. It might take most of 2020 for global supply chains to fully recover.

So what does that have to do with Japan and its manufacturing sector. Supply chain affects both imports and exports in Japan, and it affects supply parts that companies need from global suppliers and it affect Japanese companies that supply parts overseas.

Have a nice day and be safe!

Japan Wholesale Prices:

 https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20201012/p2g/00m/0bu/049000c

Article:

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Wholesale prices in Japan dropped 0.8 percent in September from a year earlier, weighed down by falling energy prices and sluggish domestic demand amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Bank of Japan said Monday.

The price of goods traded between companies, which impacts consumer prices, fell for the seventh straight month, posting a continued challenge to the central bank's efforts to hit its 2 percent inflation target.

ideas:

A fall in energy prices can be both a positive or a negatives depending on what side of the equation a family, individual, or company is on.

In the normal supply and demand scenario, whenever there might be an over-supply in the market, such as oil, that would be pressure for prices to decrease.

So suppliers would not like that. And of course another reason might be the demand for a commodity such as oil has decreased, which again would pressure for prices to decrease.

So trade between companies during the pandemic, might have caused wholesale prices to drop. Supplies might have grown because there was less demand. If there is less demand, most likely suppliers are going to lower the prices and an incentive to increase sales and or try to salvage some profits.

Article:

Economic activity has gained traction after it fell away due to the spread of the novel coronavirus earlier in the year, although the BOJ still views economic conditions as severe.

Prices of petroleum and coal products tumbled 13.9 percent, reflecting a sharp year-on-year drop in crude oil prices. Among other decliners in energy-related products, electricity, gas and water prices decreased 4.6 percent while chemical and related products fell 5.5 percent, according to the BOJ data.

Ideas:

Decreasing oil and energy prices might seem like a good thing if you are a consumer of such commodities. But in reality, constant low prices in the long run might not be good for an economy. 

Maybe in the short run it might help consumers, but overall, it might not be good for both suppliers and consumers of oil or energy commodities.

There needs to be a balance in the prices for good the good of all in an economy. Too high and consumers suffer and they will find way to limit energy consumption which doesn't help the suppliers. 

Too low and that doesn't help the suppliers who have to make a profit or they might not stay in that commodity market.

Article:

"As the impact of coronavirus infections lingers globally, the pace of recovery in economic activity has been modest, which continues to weigh on wholesale prices," a BOJ official said.

Reflecting weak domestic demand, prices of lumber and wood products as well as those of coal and iron fell 1.1 percent, respectively.

Import prices dropped 10.1 percent and export prices decreased 1.5 percent, both in yen terms.

Ideas:

Wholesale prices can be attributed to two possible factors. One being the demand for a product and two to cost of resources needed to make the products.

If demand is too low or continues to be too low for too long, wholesalers might have no choice but to lower their prices to either re-capture lost sales and profits.

The other being if prices needed for intermediate good becomes too high, then again they might have no choice but to "pass on" the increase in costs to the next in the supply chain.

And or if the wholesaler, who is the middleman in the supply chain sees his prices rising because the original supplier had to raise his prices because of the increase in resource costs then maybe the wholesaler has no choice but to "pass on" the costs to the next one in the supply chain.

But then there is another factor. Suppose resource costs are increase and then at the end of the supply chain, such as overall demand in the economy is decreasing like in the pandemic what are all the suppliers in the supply chain supposed to do.

So you have resource costs increasing, so the original suppliers have to pass on the costs to the next group in the supply chain such as the wholesalers, so their costs are increasing and then they decide they need to pass on all or some of the costs to the next group in the supply chain, for example lets say the retailers, and then they see their costs increasing and they feel they have no choice but to pass on some or all of the increase in costs.

But there is one major problem. Demand is down in the economy because of the pandemic and there is possibly no end in sight as to when demand might begin to return to some kind of normal.

So now the supply is in the new normal.

Have a nice day and be safe!

Japan Convenience Store Sales:

 https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20200923/p2g/00m/0bu/095000c

Article:

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Convenience store sales in Japan fell 5.5 percent in August from a year earlier, marking the sixth straight month of decline, due to fewer customer visits amid the prolonged coronavirus pandemic, an industry body said Wednesday.

The decline of sales in the reporting month improved from a 7.4 percent decrease in July, as ice cream and other summer items sold well due to scorching heat across the country, the Japan Franchise Association said.

Ideas:

Most likely the decrease in convenience stores sales were mostly those near the city centers where there are a lot of large company workers, as since March 2020, most likely many company workers were working from home and not visiting the convenience stores near their work places go get their lunch bento, their Itoen green tea, and or their onigri for lunch.

The convenience stores near where they live were probably not as affected, although they too might have seen less customers as people were visiting all places less, and maybe buying more at one time to avoid having to go back many times.

Article:

In August, same-store sales at seven major convenience store operators totaled 905.94 billion yen ($8.62 billion), down from 958.82 billion yen a year before.

The number of shoppers dropped 9.3 percent from the previous year to 1.35 billion, compared with a 14.0 percent plunge in the previous month, reflecting an increasing number of people working from home and refraining from nonessential outings, the industry body said.

Ideas:

The key phrase here is nonessential outings, whether to restaurants, supermarkets, and even multiple visits to convenience stores or conbinis.

Again, most likely if a person did go to the supermarket, they might have actually bought more than usual to avoid having to go back again, maybe in the same week or even two weeks if possible.

Supermarkets were probably not as affected as customers still have to buy the daily essentials needed for everyday living.

And at the same time, it has been reported that some supermarkets and other places were finding ways to keep their customers such as innovative pickup services to make sure the customers feel safe, and of course providing either online purchases and or delivery services by supermarkets and or delivery services companies including motor scooter type services by some startup or new companies.

Article:

Average spending per person rose 4.2 percent to 671.7 yen due to robust demand for food items, alcoholic beverages and hygiene products, including face masks, it said.

Sales in the service category, such as concert and sporting event tickets, sank 23.6 percent from the previous year, which was worse than the 16.2 percent drop in July.

The overall number of convenience stores in Japan climbed 0.2 percent to 55,841 from a year earlier, growing for the fifth consecutive month.

Ideas:

Its not a surprise that many services type businesses saw decreases in sales and profits and people avoided going to place where there would be a lot of potential contact with other people.

The increase in the number of convenience stores could mean several things. The first being the entry into the convenience store market, even during a pandemic is low, meaning barriers to entry are low.

The second might be that there might have been those who needed to keep working because of lost work/jobs, retirement and they felt running convenience store franchise might be something they could do.

Also, possibly, before the pandemic, there were many stores that were planning to open and still continued to open despite the pandemic.

But at the same time it doesn't say if there were any closings due to the pandemic or other challenges.

Have a nice day and be safe!

Bank of Japan Policy:

 https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20200917/p2g/00m/0bu/075000c

Article:

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The Bank of Japan left its ultraloose monetary policy unchanged Thursday to support the economy amid the coronavirus pandemic, with Governor Haruhiko Kuroda expected to announce the central bank will closely cooperate with new prime minister Yoshihide Suga.

At the end of its two-day policy meeting, the central bank maintained short-term interest rates at minus 0.1 percent while guiding long-term rates to around zero percent. It will also continue with measures to facilitate fundraising by struggling companies.

Ideas:

The Bank of Japan's low interest rate policy can have some positive effects and some negative effects.

On the positive side businesses and consumers will be able to get some easy money at lower rates which will then of course is expected to be used in the economy to increased needed economic activity.

At the same time, if banks follow the Bank of Japan's policy suggestions with the low interest rates in might mean they will not profit as much as the want from the low interest rates.

So that of course means they will need to find other ways to make up for the loss of profits from the low interest rates by charging higher fees related to other services they provide.

And its good during the current pandemic that continue to find ways to help struggling companies but at the same time, don't put any pressure on the companies with extra debts burdens which they don't need at this point.

Article:

"Japan's economy has started to pick up with economic activity resuming gradually, although it has remained in a severe situation due to the impact of the novel coronavirus at home and abroad," the BOJ said in a statement.

Under its massive asset-purchasing program, the bank will keep buying government bonds from financial institutions without setting a limit and exchange-traded funds at an annual pace of 12 trillion yen ($114 billion).

Ideas:

Whatever the Bank of Japan can or is wiling to do is good for the Japanese economy as there are many businesses and families who are struggling at the this time.

This is not the time to say let the market decide the winners and loser or let the market decide who will survive and who will not.

These are unprecedented times and its good for central banks and governments to do as much as they can to help those in need.

There is nothing wrong with some Keynesian economics or strategies when the market can't help itself. 

The Japanese economy most likely is going to remain in a severe situation for a long time as the pandemic doesn't appear to be ending anytime soon.

Article:

The BOJ maintained support measures for corporate finance, including providing cheap funds to banks that extend interest rate-free loans to struggling companies under a government program and buying up to 20 trillion yen in corporate bonds and commercial papers from lenders to ensure ample liquidity in the banking system.

Suga launched his Cabinet on Wednesday, inheriting former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's "Abenomics" policy mix of monetary and fiscal stimulus and structural reforms.

The BOJ had joined Abe's efforts to beat chronic deflation in Japan, introducing unprecedented monetary easing programs to lift the country's inflation rate to 2 percent, the goal that the bank has failed to achieve for more than seven years.

Ideas:

If the BOJ does provide support measures and if the banks follow through with actually giving cheap funds also to the companies that need them then its a good thing which helps struggling companies.

But if some banks decide to not provide the cheap funds but add on some other fees to cover cost or help with the banks profits it defeats the purpose of what the BOJ is trying do to.

But the important idea, as stated, it ensure an amble supply of liquidity in the economy for struggling companies and struggling families too. 

At the present time deflation might be the least of the BOJ's worries, as there are too many companies and families that are just trying to survive.

The BOJ should focus on the 2.0 inflation target at a latter date, as consumer demand at this point most likely is just too low to see any kind of inflation increase.

But at the same time, the only way there might be an increase in inflation is from the supply side, for example if supply prices begin to increase too fast and suppliers will eventually have to decide how much of their costs to they "pass on" those along the chain.

But as consumer demand and maybe business demand is not too good, most likely suppliers are not going to pass on the costs just yet and take a wait and see approach.

And then there is the possibility of the increase in energy costs which could effects businesses, car owners, and families and energy costs will increase such as electricity, heating oil, and so on.

Have a nice day and be safe!

Mainichi: Japan Business Sentiment:

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20200811/p2g/00m/0bu/124000c

Article:

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Business sentiment among workers in Japan with jobs sensitive to economic trends in July almost returned to levels seen before the coronavirus outbreak, as social and economic activities gradually resumed, government data showed Tuesday.

The diffusion index of confidence among "economy watchers" such as taxi drivers and restaurant staff, released by the Cabinet Office, rose 2.3 points from June to 41.1, compared with 41.9 logged in January when the fallout from the virus outbreak in China was yet to be felt in Japan.

The reading in the reporting month increased for the third consecutive month after a record-low figure of 7.9 was marked in April, when a nationwide state of emergency was declared to prevent the virus spread, dealing a heavy blow to the world's third-largest economy.

Ideas:

Business sentiment, or how someone feels, is a very subjective measure as it can never be exactly sure how a group feels really means anything when it comes to business activity.

What exactly is an "economy watcher?" Most likely its that group as the above says is dependent on good economic or business conditions to remain employed. 

How would taxi drivers be economy watchers? Perhaps if the economy is doing well more people might inclined to take taxis instead of a lower cost bus or subway/train. Or if economy is not doing too good consumers of transportation might just take the cheaper bus and or subway/train.

Of course restaurant staff are always dependent on a good economy. If the economy and businesses are doing good, then more consumers are most likely going to be visiting restaurants instead of eating at home, as is now the case.

Article:

As for the outlook, however, the economy watchers expressed a pessimistic view, with the diffusion index gauging business sentiment regarding the coming months decreasing 8.0 points to 36.0.

A government official told reporters that the outlook figure, down for the first time in three months, is believed to reflect a recent resurgence in infections seen across the country.

"We can see indications of a pickup from the outcome as economic activities have been partially lifted by the government's support measures such as cash handouts and a subsidy campaign for tourists, while negative effects of the resurgence in virus cases appeared in the latter half of the month," the official said.

Ideas:

With all the news out there now about the pandemic is very difficult for many business or economy watchers to be positive. If your business is a customer service type business and you and your employees depend on customers to grow and now even survive, its not easy to be positive.

Business now have find a way to survive, through innovation, new market niches, maybe somewhat lowered expectations in order to keep the business open. Now might be a good time to find ways to do business that was not thought of before. 

For example how many restaurants before the pandemic had takeout or delivery, and or partnering with a online company or service that can provide online help that maybe a small and medium sized business is unable or unwilling to do. 

Finding new blue oceans in a pessimistic atmosphere is not easy but needed to survive.

Article:

In May, the government began delivering 100,000 yen ($942) each to 126 million residents in Japan and launched a subsidy campaign called "Go To Travel" in late July to boost the virus-hit domestic tourism industry.

But the travel promotion policy has drawn fire from the start amid concerns that it could further spread the virus infection.

A reading below 50 indicates that more respondents reported worsening conditions than improving ones.

The index on current conditions in June had logged the largest month-to-month rise of 23.3 points since comparable data became available in January 2002.

Ideas:

No doubt the 100,000 yen is and was needed by many. But how many families can survive on that amount. Its a worthy goal to help those in need, but most likely families and others will need more than that if the pandemic continues on. 

The travel promotion may have been another worthwhile goal to get the economy and businesses moving again. But rightly so it could spread the virus to areas that haven't seen as many viruses and other areas. 

The virus situation has hit many businesses and as such its should be understood, just because there is a month or two of positive activities is not going to undo all of the damage that took place in the spring.

An economy is a very complex web of activities but at the same time it is very interconnected in that while there might be one or two industries or sectors that seem OK and not really that affected you will have double that amount that are very affected by the pandemic and then add in what is called the multiplier affect and you can double that amount because of the web of connections in the economy. 

But the same can be said the opposite direction, to add in some positive ideas. If the economy begins to sustain itself eventually there might be this connection where some businesses start to really improve and then it adds on other connected business es that begin to pull out of the pandemic situation and begin to see real growth again. 

Article:

The Cabinet Office maintained its assessment after upgrading it for the second straight month in June, saying that while economic conditions remain severe due to the coronavirus pandemic, there are signs things are picking up.

A department store worker in the southwestern region of Kyushu was quoted as saying that sales were gradually recovering as customers increased from the previous month, but the number of elderly people visiting the store remained at a low level.

A fabricated-metal industry worker in the Kinki region in western Japan welcomed the fact that more auto plants were resuming operations, but said it would take time for related sectors to go above a profitable line of business.

The Cabinet Office polled 2,050 workers from July 25 to 31, of whom 1,845, or 90.0 percent, responded.

Ideas:

Just as the department store worker said there appears to be a gradual recovery with more customers. Again as more customers begin to show up then more customers will begin the venture out and start shopping again.

And of course the idea that some customers might have migrated to online shopping when there weren't shopping online before.

And then there is the elderly customers. Some estimates say the elderly are the backbone of the department store industry. The elderly of course are probably hesitant to go out at this time. 

Then there is the auto industry and its related sectors ad the metal worker describes. Again the interconnections of different industries or parts of industries. As one part begins to improve it might lead to the improvement of other parts of connections in industries and the overall economy. 

Have a nice day and be safe!

Mainichi: Japan Economy:

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20200811/p2g/00m/0bu/047000c

Article:

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's current account surplus shrank 31.4 percent in the first half of 2020 from a year earlier to 7.31 trillion yen ($69 billion), marking the lowest level in over five years as exports and spending by visitors from overseas were hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, government data showed Tuesday.

In June alone, the current account surplus, one of the widest gauges of international trade, tumbled 86.6 percent to 167.5 billion yen, the Finance Ministry said in a preliminary report.

Ideas:

Japan, despite having a rather large domestic economy, and  still the 3rd largest economy in the world, depends heavily on exports, and even more recently tourists from overseas, especially the growing Chinese tourists flocking to Japan.

Both exports and tourists bring money into Japan and or back to Japan, in the case of exports.

The spring of 2020 was not so good for exports or global exports, and global demand decreased a lot along with supply challenges and global logistics challenges during the spring and early summer.

As a result no doubt Japan's current account surplus, like a government's bank account shrank considerably.

Article:

The six-month figure was the lowest since a 3.54 trillion yen surplus in the second half of 2014 when the trade deficit swelled due mainly to a surge in gas imports and a fall in the yen, the ministry said.

The 31.4 percent contraction was the biggest since Japan posted an 89.7 percent fall in the current account surplus in the first half of 2014, it said.

Among key components, the goods trade balance posted a 1.10 trillion yen deficit, turning negative for the first time in three half-year periods, with exports of cars and auto parts sharply down as the pandemic weighed heavily on overseas demand for such items.

Ideas:

The swell in gas imports, and at the same time most likely a increase in oil prices, means that less money is coming into Japan than going out to pay for the higher prices or oil or anything else.

If the currency exchange rate between Japan and any other country is not in Japan' s favor related to imports than Japan is actually losing money.

And for example, with exports, exporters prefer a currency exchange rate that is weak so that they can get more for their products they sell overseas like in the US or China.

And importers prefer a currency exchange rate that is a little strong, as they actually have pay for imports from wherever.

Article: 

Exports fell 15.6 percent to 32.01 trillion yen, and imports were down 12.3 percent to 33.10 trillion yen.

Services trade, which includes cargo shipping and passenger transportation, was 1.17 trillion yen in the red for the six-month period, marking the largest deficit since the latter half of 2014 due to tighter international travel restrictions to curb the spread of the virus.

A smaller surplus of the travel balance -- which reflects the amount of money foreign visitors use in the country versus how much Japanese spend abroad -- sent the service trade balance to the negative column from a 172.6 billion yen surplus a year earlier, a ministry official said.

Ideas:

Global trade was down in the spring and early summer of 2020. At the same time, due to global logistics challenges and or a decrease in demand for imported products during the same period might have caused a decrease in imports.

And the biggest challenges were with the services sector, especially the travel bans placed on most global travel.

Japan has become very dependent, whether positive or negative on the huge increase in international travelers to Japan in recent years.

The increase in international tourists to Japan was part of the former prime minister's strategy to boost the Japanese economy.

Article:

The travel surplus plunged to 421.3 billion yen from 1.41 trillion yen as the number of foreign visitors was down 76.3 percent in the first half of this year to an estimated 3.95 million, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.

Primary income, which reflects returns on overseas investments, posted a surplus of 10.43 trillion yen, down 4.0 percent.

In June, the country had a goods trade deficit of 77.3 billion yen and a services trade deficit of 157.7 billion yen, both in the red for the third straight month.

Primary income logged a surplus of 426.4 billion yen, down 5.8 percent.

Ideas:

Most of those foreign visitors most likely went to Japan before the travel ban was put into place in the first week of March 2020. 

For example, I had planned to travel to Japan the first weekend of March, and could have gotten in before on Sunday before the travel ban was put into effect on a Monday, the first full week in March 2020.

Most of those tourists were probably coming from China, which itself, imposed a travel ban on its own citizens during the same time period.

Again, whether good or bad, many Japanese businesses had become highly dependent on international tourists, especially those from China.

The same can be said for South Korea during the same time period of explosive growth in the Chinese tourists traveling to both South Korea and Japan.

Unfortunately both countries tourism and services industries have suffered huge losses.

Have a nice day and be safe!

Manichi: Employees Work From Hotels:

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20200728/p2g/00m/0bu/084000c

Article:

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- NEC Corp. and travel agency JTB Corp. said Tuesday they are launching a new service allowing teleworkers to book empty hotel rooms for use as remote offices, repurposing the spaces left vacant due to the coronavirus' impact on hotel occupancy rates.

The service offered by NEC Solution Innovators Ltd. and JTB will be launched on Aug. 31 in Tokyo and surrounding areas, with a plan to expand it to Nagoya and Osaka by around March next year and nationwide by March 2022.

The two firms hope to have 30 hotels participating in the initiative by the end of March next year and 50 by late March 2022 as Japanese companies increasingly encourage staff to work remotely to reduce the risk of them contracting the virus while commuting on public transport and possibly creating cluster infections at workplaces.

Ideas:

In times of challenges there will be new and innovative ideas that are brought forth. This seems like an excellent idea related to telecommuting.

It not only helps the companies who are trying to meet the government's suggestion of 70 percent of a company's workforce telework, but it might even help hotels with some kind of cash flow, if the virus situation continues.

And it might even help employees whose home might not be the best place for telecommuting work.

Who know, and whole new niche industry may evolve for the hotel industry and as such other companies might find way to provide lodging/space etc. for telework employees.

Not everyone can go to a Starbucks and do their work, if they can't do it from home.

Article:

The NEC unit will create and operate an application that will allow people and employers to search and reserve hotel rooms. It will also provide a function that hotel operators can use to register room availability and confirm reservation status.

JTB will pitch the initiative to hotels as a new source of revenue at a time when they have seen their occupancy rates fall due to the lack of travelers. The agency will also promote the service to firms that are looking to secure teleworking space for employees.

Under the system, an employee can reserve a space at a hotel via their computer or smartphone, with rates starting at 200 yen ($1.90) per 15 minutes for co-working spaces such as meeting and party rooms and from 3,000 yen for guest rooms with a minimum three-hour occupancy.

Ideas:

Toyoko Inn, for example, I think, already has a plan for short term stay during the day, or used to. So they might also be interested in the this idea.

Again at the same time, some employees might need to find places near where they work in case they have to meet other company employees who are at the company office building and again, some might not be able to work from home.

Hotels should jump on this idea as a new revenue possibility. For example, the Star Hotel in Yokohama, which went out of business in the late spring, might have been able to use this as a new revenue stream to keep itself going for a while longer.

Imagine, especially business hotel, but even any hotel, using its location and space for business employees. They can designate a certain number of room or floor for teleworking customers only without interfering their normal core business.

Article:

Hotels scheduled to offer the service include Hyatt Regency Tokyo in the Shinjuku area, Oakwood Premier Tokyo in the Marunouchi district and Ueno Terminal Hotel.

Amid the pandemic, the government is asking Japanese firms to ensure at least 70 percent of employees work outside of their office. Remote working has also been encouraged as companies adopt flexible working styles, such as staggered commuting.

Ideas:

The hotels listed above seem to be luxury type hotels, which are fine, but not all employees maybe can be in these locations or maybe the cost might be too much, even if the company is paying for it eventually.

Hotels such as Toyoko Inn, which is or was still considered a "business type" hotel might be ideal as they have locations all over Japan. And there are some Tokyo Inn hotel right now in Yokohama that are still closed because of low demand. 

One for example is located in the Kannai area, near many of the Yokohama and Kanagawa government offices that would be an idea location for work in that area.

Another in near the Shin Yokohama eki area, which again would be a prime location for telework.

Lets hope this idea and other creative innovative ideas coming into being in the future.

Have a nice day and stay safe!