Mrs. Tanaka

Since 2007, Mrs. Watanabe has been recognized as one of factors to move market trends among dealers and investors who are in active to global currency market.

Who is Mrs. Watanabe?

Photo: The Star Publications

No...(This is Ken Watanabe, a famous actor, and his wife)

Photo: Catastrophist

Indeed, Mrs. Watanabe is "a mythical housewife representing the thousands of small Japanese investors who prefer speculating on currencies to stocks" (Reference is here). She is generally doing investment activities during lunch time. As a result of her activities, at Tokyo market, a fact that after the lunch time the market price frequently turns the opposite way against that morning market price, despite no significant factor, at the foreign exchange market between dollar and yen has been confirmed. This was surprising foreign investors. And, they couldn't help highlighting Mrs. Watanabe.

Recently, Mrs. Watanabe has been crashed allegedly by hedge funds. After the Japanese big earthquake and tsunami, despite the serious situation, the yen has been risen against the dollar. This tough condition would continue to face on Mrs. Watanabe awhile.

Although some articles wrote up of Mrs. Watanabe, I would like to highlight another point these articles didn't pointed out. Many housewives include in small Japanese investors who deal in the foreign exchange -- aka Mrs. Watanabe. I guess they are majority, of course though there are a lot of college students and businesspeople engaging as side business. And, they are a key player for Japanese economy now.

Though some of them got a lot of loss by this tough situation, they would keep doing or come back because most of their money come from their husband's income -- for them, dealing in foreign exchange is a thing like earning their allowance.

For example, my mom, Mrs. Tanaka, set up a booth at a flea market like a garage sale last Sunday. When coming back home, she got some money by selling our stuffs which we didn't need. Also, she has engaged to invest some stocks and have a real estate -- the source of funds from my dad -- like many Japanese housewives do , though she is not one of Mrs. Watanabe. When she gets a profit from her business (?), she enjoys traveling and shopping by using its money.

Thus, Japanese housewives are so powerful not only in their family, particularly wives hold real power in modern family, but also in economy by their very good business mind. They will have continued to have an impact on markets and economies, albeit Japanese markets and economies have been sunk by the earthquake and tsunami. And surprisingly, they are spending a lot of money to buying clothes and even eat a great lunch at an expensive restaurant because they have a good backup giving them funds and also their return in their investment to stocks and foreign exchanges. Although Every housewife is not like that and Mrs. Watanabe, they are worth to be highlighted and they are the hinge of recovering from this bad situation in Japan.

I personally have a little hope that my mom becomes the person called "Mrs. Tanaka" who is success in business world instead of "Mrs. Watanabe." I know it's not going to happen...