Japanese Ministry of Finance official admits, “We are worse than Greece” - Japan’s debt-to-GDP has soared to over 230% - Fiscal deficit is up to 10% of GDP

More proof that the Japanese government is run by a bunch of complete idiots!


From Zerohedge: Japan's Shocking Keynesian Slip: "We Are Worse Than Greece"

In a stunning turn of events, a Japanese Ministry of Finance official admits to Richard Koo's worst nightmare "Japan is fiscally worse than Greece". Bloomberg is reporting that, at a conference in Tokyo, Yasushi Kinoshita says Japan's 2011 fiscal deficit was up to 10% of GDP and its debt-to-GDP has soared to over 230%. What is more concerning is the Kyle-Bass- / Hugh-Hendry-recognized concentration risk that Kinoshita admits to also - with a large amount of JGBs held domestically, the Japanese financial system is much more vulnerable to fiscal shocks (cough energy price cough) than Europe. Of course, the market is catatonic in its reaction to this - mesmerized by the possibility of buybacks and hypnotized at big-banks-passing-stress-tests - though we do note the small reverse stronger in USDJPY has reversed as this news broke and the USD pushes modestly higher.

Now why in the world would this government wonk admit this in public? This will only cause the bond market to worry and perhaps the flight of foreign capital!


Two words: Got gold?