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TOKYO, Jan 1 (Reuters) – Two major Japanese business lobbying groups called on the \u200bgovernment to address the yen’s weakness, which \u200cis inflating import costs and weighing on households and \u200cbusinesses, their chiefs told domestic media in separate interviews.<\/p>\n
Yoshinobu Tsutsui, head of Japan’s biggest business lobby Keidanren, said in a group interview with \u2060multiple domestic \u200cmedia that the weak yen tends to be highlighted for its benefits, \u200dsuch as boosting profits for exporters.<\/p>\n
But from the perspective of national strength, “it would be better in the \u200blong run to adjust toward a stronger \u200cyen,” he said, according to the media reports.<\/p>\n
In a separate interview with domestic media, Ken Kobayashi, chairman of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, noted that the cost \u2060of procuring raw materials for \u200bsmall and medium-sized firms \u200bis increasing due to the weak yen.<\/p>\n
As the weak yen has been a \u200dmajor factor \u2060behind inflation, the government and the Bank of Japan “need to eliminate the sense of \u2060helplessness among small business owners that import materials from \u200coverseas,” he said.<\/p>\n
(Reporting by Makiko Yamazaki: \u200cEditing by Neil Fullick)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n