JAPAN DATA: Japanese retail sales in December are expected to show
a 0.3% gain on year, slowing from a revised 1.5% rise in November, due
mainly to a slump in spending on consumer electronics and automobiles,
according to the median forecast of analysts surveyed by Market News
International. The Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry will release
the data at 0850 JST on Friday, Jan. 28 (2350 GMT on Thursday).