Japan’s Economy Shrinks, Weighed Down by a Weak Yen and Rising Inflation The economy contracted 1.2 percent as consumers and businesses were hit with rising import prices. Author: Ben Dooley and Hisako Ueno Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)MoreClick to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)