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July 05, 2025
 

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Toru Fujioka
Inflation is surprisingly strong, increasing the possibility that the Bank of Japan will raise its interest rate by the end of the year, according to Tsutomu Watanabe, an emeritus economics professor at the University of Tokyo.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 4, 2025
Japan's inflation is outpacing BOJ's view, expert says
The remarks of Tsutomu Watanabe, a former central bank official, are likely to feed market expectations for another interest rate hike this year.
Bank of Japan policy board member Hajime Takata says the central bank is continuing to look for further opportunities to raise rates.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 3, 2025
BOJ rate hikes to resume after temporary pause, policy board member says
Hajime Takata said authorities "may need to nimbly shift back to the rate hike cycle in response to policy changes” in the U.S.
Consumer prices excluding fresh food rose 3.1% in the capital in June from a year earlier, lower than the median economist forecast but still well above the Bank of Japan’s price goal of 2%.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 27, 2025
Tokyo inflation eases as energy costs cool ahead of election
Consumer prices excluding fresh food rose 3.1% in the capital in June from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
The Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 25, 2025
BOJ record signals consensus that inflation is faster than expected
The board’s views indicate it’s possible the bank will raise its inflation forecast in a quarterly economic report at the July meeting.
Consumer prices excluding fresh food quickened for a third month to 3.7% from a year earlier in May.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 20, 2025
Japan’s prices climb by most in two years ahead of Upper House election
Consumer prices excluding fresh food quickened for a third month to 3.7% from a year earlier in May, according to an internal affairs ministry's release Friday.
Bank of Japan officials now see inflation slightly outpacing earlier forecasts, potentially paving the way for rate hike talks if global trade tensions subside, sources say.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 13, 2025
BOJ is said to see inflation running stronger than expected
Some officials see the relative strength in inflation reflecting a change in price-setting behavior with sharp increases in the price of rice likely to harden inflationary views.
All 53 economists surveyed by Bloomberg forecast the Bank of Japan to hold its benchmark rate at 0.5% at the end of a two-day meeting on June 17.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 11, 2025
Most BOJ watchers expect slower pace in reducing bond purchases
All 53 economists surveyed by Bloomberg forecast the BOJ to hold its benchmark rate at 0.5% at the end of a two-day meeting on June 17.
Japan's household spending fell 0.1% from a year earlier in April, as the elevated cost of living weighs on consumer spending.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 6, 2025
April household spending drop deals blow to Japan's shrinking economy
Domestic demand will likely be a key factor in determining whether a technical recession can be avoided after the economy shrank in the first quarter.
Since last summer, the Bank of Japan has been reducing its buying of government bonds by ¥400 billion every quarter, but that process will come to a halt, according to former board member Makoto Sakurai.
BUSINESS
Jun 3, 2025
BOJ likely to stop cutting bond purchases in next fiscal year, ex-official says
The government’s cost for debt servicing has risen to about a quarter of its budget for this fiscal year, thanks partly to higher interest rates.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda
BUSINESS / Economy
May 28, 2025
Ueda to monitor risk of high long-term bond yields affecting shorter-term rates
The comments come at a time of heightened concern about volatility at the long end of the bond market.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda speaks during a conference hosted by the bank's Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies in Tokyo on Tuesday. Ueda gave the yen a boost by clearly indicating his intention to continue raising the benchmark interest rate if the economy improves as expected.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 27, 2025
Yen rises as Ueda indicates BOJ is still eyeing more rate hikes
The yen rose as high as 142.12 against the dollar immediately after Ueda's remarks.
"Given the extremely high uncertainties in play, my view is that it is appropriate for the bank to conduct monetary policy deliberately to reflect the actual state of economic recovery,” Toyoaki Nakamura, the Bank of Japan’s most dovish board member, said in a speech Friday in Fukuoka Prefecture.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 16, 2025
BOJ’s most dovish member warns against rushing to raising rates
Toyoaki Nakamura’s speech comes shortly after government data showed that Japan’s economy shrank more than expected in the first quarter.
The Japanese economy flipped back into reverse in the first three months of the year, with consumption staying below its pre-pandemic level as inflation saps purchasing power.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 16, 2025
Japan’s economy shrank for the first time in a year before tariff jolt
The first contraction under Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba adds to concerns about the resilience of the economy before tariffs came into effect.
"The Bank of Japan’s stance to continue to raise the policy interest rate is unchanged” given low real rates and the outlook for its price goal to be met, one of the nine board members said at the central bank's April 30 to May 1 meeting, according to a summary of opinions released Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 13, 2025
BOJ still intends to raise rates while monitoring tariffs, summary shows
The written account of the BOJ gathering comes as risk appetite returns to global financial markets following the cooldown in U.S.-China tariff tensions on Monday.
A median estimate of economists shows Japan's gross domestic product likely shrank by 0.3% in the January-March quarter on an annualized basis.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 12, 2025
Japan’s sputtering economy likely stalled before Trump’s tariffs
Gross domestic product adjusted for inflation shrank by 0.3% in the first quarter on an annualized basis, according to economists.
Industrial production dropped 1.1% in March compared with the previous month, according to the industry ministry.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 30, 2025
Japan's factory output falls in sign of frailty before tariffs
Industrial production dropped 1.1% in March compared with the previous month, the industry ministry reported Wednesday. Economists had forecast a 0.4% drop.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda. The BOJ is getting into a tough spot between high inflation and a likely economic slowdown.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 28, 2025
BOJ to hit pause on rate-hike path as economic risks mount
Gov. Kazuo Ueda’s board is poised to keep the benchmark rate at 0.5% at the conclusion of the two-day gathering on Thursday, according to all 54 economists surveyed.
Consumer prices excluding fresh food in Tokyo gained 3.4% in April from a year earlier, as a mixture of impacts from last year’s school fee cuts and higher food and energy costs accelerated inflation, according to the internal affairs ministry.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 25, 2025
Tokyo prices rise most in two years, backing central bank's hike path
Consumer prices excluding fresh food gained 3.4% in April from a year earlier. Tokyo's figures are a leading indicator for national price gains.
Consumer prices excluding fresh food rose 3.2% from a year ago in March, accelerating from a 3% increase in the previous month, according to the internal affairs ministry.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 18, 2025
Japan’s inflation quickens as rice prices gain the most in over 50 years
The price of the nation’s staple grain rose 92.1% in March from a year earlier, the fastest pace in data going back to 1971.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 16, 2025
Trump’s tariffs may spur policy response from BOJ, Sankei reports
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda's policy comments reinforce speculation that authorities aren’t likely to consider a near-term rate hike.
A prophesied disaster (likely) won’t strike Japan this weekend
A viral manga prediction of a July 5 disaster has gripped Japan with anxiety and triggered an economic impact, but experts warn that while such dates are unreliable, the threat of a massive earthquake remains real. 
Magnitude 5.5 earthquake jars Tokara Islands amid flurry of seismic activity
A strong quake struck off the Tokara Islands on Thursday afternoon, with the island chain having recorded around 1,000 earthquakes since a burst of seismic activity first began on June 21.
Japan to require flight passengers to keep power banks within sight
The transport ministry has announced new regulations requiring flight passengers to keep power banks within sight to mitigate fire risks while on board planes.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Residents of Tokara Islands begin evacuation as seismic swarm continues
Details about evacuations from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecture, is seen written on a whiteboard in the city of Kagoshima on Thursday.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Flag football facing challenges and opportunities ahead
Japan’s women’s flag football team at the 2025 International Bowl in Los Angeles in June. The sport is enjoying continued growth in the country.
From Hokusai’s Great Wave, shinkansen to One Piece: a cultural treasure box for Lego Japan
Michael Ebbesen, general manager of Lego Japan, says Lego bricks based on Japanese culture have a rich global appeal and are sellable around the world.
With farmed fish, RelationFish swims against the tide in fine dining
Chef Hideaki Matsuo (middle) and the staff of Oseto Suisan Fisheries prepare to check on their sustainably farmed fish.
As Southeast Asia heats up, a Japanese cooling giant sees a major opportunity
An employee of Daikin Cambodia explains the use of different tools during an air conditioner installation training session in Phnom Penh. Daikin is one of Japan’s oldest air conditioning companies, but as Japan’s population falls, the firm is keying in on overseas growth.

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