Japan's Trade and Current Account imbalances appear to be hitting some kind of terminal velocity and while neither JGBs nor CDS seem to reflect the ensuing chaotic recognition that perhaps the can that has been so faithfully kicked down the "Nishi-no-michi" or the West Road may have plunged over the lip of Mount Fuji (conjuring images of Mordor), FX markets recent and abrupt weakness brought on by yet more printing (a topic we discussed in great detail recently as the chosen heretical method du decade [10]) may well be coming face to face with reality. We assume Azumi is faithfully watching these market moves but we wonder at what point the quasi-intentional weakening of local currencies flares into a full-blown currency war - and instead of merely encouraging simpleton FX-carry strategies chasing momentum and leverage - quickly becomes the hyperinflationary super nova that many have been waiting for over the last decade. Dismal demographics aside, we wonder how long before Koo prescribes yet more of the same medicine for this constant state of deflation and at what point does inverted-Apple-looking charts for Trade and Current Account balances become simply too hot to handle...
The Japan trade balance has tipped into extreme freefall...
[11]
As has the Current Account balance...
[12]
And the absolute basis (purple line) between CDS and JGBs remains notably above any of its peers reflecting more of the possibility of a hyperinflationary or devaluation 'event' than Greece-like default given its currency-manufacturer status as opposed to its currency-user status (a la Greece)...
[13]
The basis (5Y 83bps) above is all the more shocking (almost triple the bond yield) when considered in relative terms - i.e. compared as a ratio to the extreme low yields of JGBs (5Y 29bps!! and 10Y charted below)...
[14]
so perhaps the recent 'crash' in USDJPY, catching up to FX vol risk-reversals (a measure of the FX options market's implicit skew to bullish or bearish sentiment) is the start of bigger things...
[15]
or is it simply yet another false alert on the road to Mordor for Japanese Central Bankers?
Charts: Bloomberg