Return of a heavyweight

Japan derivatives

All eyes seem to be facing east at the moment. While China has arguably hogged most of the limelight, attention is increasingly focusing on the region's largest economy, Japan. The Japanese economy - with a GDP of $4.9 trillion in 2005 - has undergone a radical transformation in the past four years. Indeed, if it maintains its current economic recovery until October, it will surpass its longest sustained period of post-war economic growth. The economy grew a real 1.9% on an annual basis during