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July 25, 2025
 

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JAPANESE ECONOMY

Oil storage tanks in the Keihin industrial area in Kanagawa Prefecture. Japan relies on the Middle East for over 95% of its oil.
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Oct 17, 2023
Japan still relies on Middle East oil 50 years on from crisis
Japan's alternative oil suppliers, such as Indonesia, have seen their ability to export reduced by their own economic growth.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 17, 2023
Justice minister counting on skilled foreign workers
Accepting foreign workers with expertise and skills "helps boost Japan's economy and society," Minister Ryuji Koizumi said.
The International Monetary Fund says it sees no factors for Japan to intervene in the foreign exchange market to support the yen.
BUSINESS / Markets
Oct 16, 2023
IMF sees no conditions for Japan to intervene in currency market
Whether Japan will intervene to support the yen has been a key focus lately, with the currency staying near ¥150 per dollar.
Hiroshi Watanabe, former Japanese currency policy chief and onetime head of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, speaks during an interview in Tokyo.
BUSINESS / Economy / ANALYSIS
Oct 15, 2023
IMF warning on China puts 'Japanization' risk in spotlight
Stalling inflation and a deepening real estate crisis were said to be among the biggest risks to global growth during a recent IMF and World Bank meeting.
Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki (front right) arrives for a news conference during the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, in Marrakech, Morocco, on Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 14, 2023
Japan tells G20 it may need to act in FX market
Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki's remarks came as the yen renewed its declines against the dollar.
Vitor Gaspar, director of the IMF's Fiscal Affairs Department
BUSINESS
Oct 13, 2023
IMF official says fiscal reform will only grow more difficult
According to data from the IMF, Japan's national debt-to-GDP ratio topped 260% in 2022.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the Liberal Democratic Party headquarters on Tuesday in Tokyo
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Oct 12, 2023
Why are ruling party lawmakers calling for tax cuts?
As the prime minister prepares for a new economic stimulus package, it's members of his own party who are raising a fuss.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's administration faces discontent within the ruling coalition, mounting frustration from conservative elements in the LDP and persistently low public approval ratings.
COMMENTARY
Oct 10, 2023
As cracks form, Kishida’s political ship takes on water
The Kishida administration faces discontent within the ruling coalition, frustration from LDP conservatives and and low public approval ratings.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda speaks during a news conference at the central bank's headquarters in Tokyo in September.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 9, 2023
Wage hikes key for BOJ policy normalization
Wage growth trends during next year's spring labor-management negotiations will be closely watched for indicators.
Since Prime Minister Fumio Kishida launched his administration in 2021, he has vowed to boost spending by trillions of yen to tackle some deep-rooted issues. But how exactly the government will fund such efforts remains unclear.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 8, 2023
Private group calls for independent body to monitor long-term fiscal policy
The proposal suggests future projections can help citizens think more seriously about how fiscal matters could affect future generations.
The Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo. BOJ officials responded in July to upside risks to inflation by essentially raising the upper limit for 10-year bond yields, in the first surprise move under Gov. Kazuo Ueda.
BUSINESS
Oct 6, 2023
BOJ may review easing and guidance this month, ex-official says
The central bank faces a recent rise in yields, the yen’s slide and inflation consistently coming in stronger than expected.
From happōshu to real beer, Japan’s tax changes aim to improve brewing quality and prices.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 6, 2023
Amid rising costs, why is Japan making beer cheaper?
A 350-milliliter can of brew costs drinkers about ¥7 (5 cents) less from October, thanks to changes in the country’s tax system.
Japan's real wages in August declined for a 17th straight month, as persistent price hikes continued to outpace salaries.
BUSINESS
Oct 6, 2023
Japan's slower-than-forecast wage growth supports BOJ caution
Nominal cash earnings for workers rose 1.1% from the previous year, matching the revised figure from the previous month.
The average price for a new condominium in central Tokyo rose 60% to a record ¥129.6 million ($865,000) in the first half of this year.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 4, 2023
Surging Tokyo property prices squeeze out young professionals
The average price for a new condominium in central Tokyo rose 60% to a record ¥129.6 million ($865,000) in the first half of this year.
Japan bought yen in September 2022, its first foray in the market to boost its currency since 1998, after a Bank of Japan decision to maintain an ultraloose monetary policy drove the yen as low as ¥145 per dollar.
BUSINESS / Markets / EXPLAINER
Oct 2, 2023
What intervention by Japan to stem yen weakness could look like
Aside from verbal intervention, the government has several options to stem what it considers excessive yen falls.
Bank of Japan board members discussed progress toward their inflation target and the need to put together an exit strategy in their September policy meeting.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 2, 2023
BOJ board members see price goal progress and need to plan exit
The comments are likely to strengthen expectations among BOJ watchers that the central bank will adjust policy in early 2024.
A rebound in auto output and falling raw material costs helped lift Japan's business sentiment in the third quarter.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 2, 2023
Japan's business mood improves as economic revival continues
The tankan survey suggests conditions for the BOJ to phase out its massive stimulus could fall into place, even as policymakers remain cautious.
Kazuo Ueda, governor of the Bank of Japan, speaks during a news conference in Tokyo on Sept. 22.
BUSINESS / Markets
Sep 30, 2023
Concern over losses won't affect monetary decision, BOJ chief says
Gov. Kazuo Ueda also said there was "still a distance to go" before the BOJ exits ultraloose monetary policy.
Core inflation in Tokyo slowed in September for the third straight month, mainly on falling fuel costs, but there are concerns the weak yen may push up import costs and the price of basic goods.
BUSINESS
Sep 29, 2023
Tokyo inflation slows on subsidies, supporting BOJ policy stance
BOJ Gov. Kazuo Ueda re-emphasized this week that the goal of achieving 2% inflation accompanied by wage gains had not yet come into sight.
Komeito leader Natsuo Yamaguchi in Tokyo on Tuesday
JAPAN
Sep 27, 2023
Coalition party leader seeks China visit this year to mend ties
Natsuo Yamaguchi, leader of Komeito, abandoned a planned trip last month as friction worsened with Japan’s biggest trading partner.
Japan and U.S. both claim win in surprise 11th-hour tariff deal
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Ryosei Akazawa, Japan chief tariff negotiator, in Tokyo
Disappointing start to Nagoya tournament turns into fascinating final stretch
Ichiyamamoto (left) defeats Gonoyama to secure a winning record at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament, at IG Arena on Monday.
Ignore the election hype, foreign residents are here to stay
Sohei Kamiya, founder of the Sanseito, which campaigned on a “Japanese first” message and tough immigration rhetoric, speaks at a rally in Gunma Prefecture on July 6.
Big unanswered questions follow Japan's big, beautiful deal with the U.S.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday in Washington, the day after he agreed to an 11th-hour trade deal with Japan.
Ishiba denies reports he will resign next month, leaving his fate unclear
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba looks on after meeting with the Liberal Democratic Party executives at the party's headquarters in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Japan leans into homegrown AI amid rising competition
McKinsey’s 2025 Technology Trends Outlook, published Wednesday, says that the use of “sovereign AI” is a trend gaining significant global traction, including in Japan.
Induction of Ichiro has Cooperstown fretfully preparing
Ichiro Suzuki will soon become the first Japanese player to be enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
JT picks: What not to miss at Fuji Rock 2025
Fuji Rock Festival turns the green slopes of Niigata Prefecture’s Naeba Ski Resort into a summer escape that offers soundtracks for every mood.
Japan’s top brands get tied up in the great sunscreen debate
A coral reef in Okinawa in July 2022. Some jurisdictions around the world have moved to ban certain sunscreens in a bid to protect coral reefs, but some say the impact on reefs is far from clear.
Pentagon looks to unleash ‘military drone dominance’
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth hosts a drone demonstration at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, on July 10.

Podcast

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