The Dow Jones isn't the only market to be riding a steady, upward slope:
Asian stocks rose this week, with benchmarks in Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Australia having their biggest gains in at least six weeks.Mizuho Financial Group Inc led Japanese banks to their biggest weekly rally in 13 years after a Japanese central bank survey showed business confidence climbed to a two-and-a-half-year high.
"The recovery is for real," said John Alkire, who oversees US$15 billion as chief investment officer at Morgan Stanley Asset & Investment Trust Management Co, in a televised interview with Bloomberg News in Tokyo.
From the numbers, this seems real - and robust. With all speed, now, Koizumi should turn to those reforms he promised. Either way, let's hope the boom lasts.