Bankruptcies in Japan Edge Down in July Despite Covid-19

Japanese bankruptcies edged down in July from a year earlier, suggesting that government measures may be helping keep businesses afloat amid the pandemic.

The number of bankruptcies fell 1.6% last month to 789 cases, according to data from Tokyo Shoko Research released Tuesday. Some 89 firms cited the coronavirus as the specific factor that drove them out of business, with restaurants and hotels hit hardest.

Bankruptcies haven’t surged in Japan during the pandemic so far. The biggest movement came in May when the number of business failures actually plunged due to the closure of courts and law offices amid ...