Mrs. Watanabe

Mrs. Watanabe, also known as Kimono Trader,[1] is a term that gained prominence in the early 2000s, representing a stereotype associated with Japanese retail currency-market traders. These individuals became notable for their active participation in currency trading (Forex), which had a significant impact on global currency markets and garnered attention on a worldwide scale.[2][3][4][5][6][7]

The term Mrs. Watanabe was used as early as 1997,[8] although the origin is disputed. Watanabe (渡辺) is a common surname in Japan.[9][10] Despite the "Mrs." honorific, about 85% of the retail currency traders in Japan as of 2019 are male, mostly in their 30s, 40s and 50s.[11]

Due to the low interest rates in Japan, traders can borrow a large quantity of yen with a margin account, and use it to buy currencies from economies where interest rates are much higher (e.g. Turkish lira, Mexican peso, and South African rand).[11]

References
  1. "着物トレーダー". ifinance.ne.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  2. "Mrs. Watanabe had a change of heart in 2022: Bank of Japan report". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  3. "Mrs. Watanabe - Japanese Housewife Who Beat the Forex Market". FXCL Markets Ltd. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  4. "Fortune Seekers | Planet Finance (3/6)". Retrieved 13 October 2023 – via www.youtube.com.
  5. "How Japanese Housewives Outsmarted Global Finance (Documentary)". Retrieved 13 October 2023 – via www.youtube.com.
  6. Harjani, Ansuya (27 June 2014). "Finally, Mrs Watanabe loosens her purse strings". CNBC. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  7. "The fabled Mrs Watanabe of Japan and a few lessons to take from her". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  8. "Mrs Watanabe, mind your fingers". The Economist. 27 March 1997. Archived from the original on 29 May 2024.
  9. Reidy, Gearoid (29 May 2024). "My search for the original 'Mrs. Watanabe'". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 30 May 2024.
  10. Watanabe is the 6th common surname, see ja:姓#日本_2.
  11. Hodo, Chikafumi; Sakai, Daisuke; Miura, Kazumi (18 September 2019). "An Army of Japanese Salarymen Is Rocking Global Currency Markets". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on 18 September 2019.
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