Japan’s economy decelerates sharply

Stimulus package: Abe may need to consider the implications of a trade spat with Seoul, as a steep decline in Korean tourists dragged on the economy. — Reuters

Tokyo: Japan’s economy slowed sharply in the third quarter as overall exports continued to fall amid trade tensions and a shopping splurge before a sales tax increase ran down stockpiles of goods.

The deceleration comes as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe mulls the size of an economic stimulus package aimed at shielding Japan’s economy from the global slowdown and the impact of the tax hike.