Tag - stocks

 
 

STOCKS

Twelve months on from Aug. 5, 2024, when Japan’s stock benchmarks plummeted 12%, the broader Topix index is once again hovering near record highs.
BUSINESS / Markets / FOCUS
Aug 5, 2025
A year after Japan's stock meltdown, markets show resilience and promise
Clearer BOJ messaging, corporate reforms and a better-than-feared U.S. tariff deal has traders in Japan's markets betting against a repeat of last year's crash.
A monitor in Tokyo shows the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average dropping on Monday morning.
BUSINESS / Markets
Aug 4, 2025
Stocks in Japan slump after U.S. data spark growth worries
The broader Topix Index and the blue-chip 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average pared some of their earlier losses but closed down 1.1% and 1.2%, respectively.
Microsoft is among a group of tech giants that are pouring money into artificial intelligence in order to get ahead of the competition.
BUSINESS
Aug 2, 2025
The AI race has Big Tech spending $344 billion this year
Microsoft, Amazon.com, Meta and Alphabet are pouring money into artificial intelligence in order to get a leg up on the competition.
An electronic board shows the broad Topix index hitting a record high on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 27, 2025
Japan investors brace for BOJ and earnings results after Trump-fueled rally
As the dust settles following the U.S.-Japan trade deal that sent markets on a wild ride, investors are questioning whether the rally was a sign of things to come.
After accounts in several online brokerage were hacked, three major online brokerage firms announced they will compensate customers for half of the damage.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 27, 2025
Three online brokerages to cover half of damage from account hacking
However they will not compensate for cases in which stocks held in hacked accounts since before the hack were sold, since the proceeds remain in the accounts.
A stock board in Tokyo on Wednesday
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 25, 2025
SmartNews planning to hire Mitsubishi UFJ and Nomura for Tokyo listing
The popular Japanese news aggregation app, valued at $2 billion in 2021, may list in Tokyo as early as next year.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff threats seemed effective at first because markets expected him to back down, but as investors grow numb, the risk rises he’ll follow through, triggering the very economic harm his threats were meant to avoid.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 23, 2025
Why markets may soon call America’s tariff bluff
Complacency brings new risk: If markets tune out Trump’s tariff threats, they may stop checking harmful policies.
A lack of clarity around fiscal and economic policies is likely to dim the global appeal of Japanese assets, analysts say.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 22, 2025
Japanese bonds remain vulnerable as unpopular Ishiba holds on
Benchmark 10-year bonds fell only slightly as trading resumed in Tokyo, pushing yields up by 1.5 basis points.
A Sanseito campaign van in Shinjuku. The populist party is gaining ground and challenging the more centrist parties.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 18, 2025
Japanese markets brace for triple whammy if opposition wins big
Bonds, stocks and the yen could be destabilized if spendthrift parties gain influence.
Japanese officials made a similar call in March to China to expand a program allowing certain mainland investors to put more money abroad when they held a high-level economic dialogue in Tokyo with their Chinese counterparts.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 18, 2025
Japan official urges China to expand foreign investment quota
China has been easing its strict controls over capital outflows in recent years.
Tokyo stocks are underperforming shares in other large markets globally.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 15, 2025
Tokyo stocks hit by a perfect storm of tariffs, politics and budget worries
The Nikkei 225 is down about 6% from its peak, hit in July 2024.
In a report Friday, Goldman Sachs economists noted that it’s reasonable to expect the Bank of Japan to start gradually selling ETFs in fiscal 2026 to minimize its loss and the impact on the stock market.
BUSINESS
Jul 14, 2025
BOJ finishes offloading bank stocks, bringing attention to ETFs
The BOJ’s holdings of the shares purchased from banks hit zero as of July 10, falling from ¥2.5 billion ($17.4 million) 10 days ago, according to its balance sheet report.
While shareholders in general still support company management, the notable break from their passive stance is seen as a boon for funds looking to invest in Japan.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 14, 2025
Corporate Japan’s shareholders show more clout this AGM season
The notable break from a passive stance is seen as a boon for funds looking to invest in Japan.
A screen displays news on Nvidia achieving a $4 trillion market capitalization on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jul 10, 2025
AI giant Nvidia becomes first company to reach $4 trillion milestone
The achievement marks new milestone in Wall Street's bet that artificial intelligence will transform the economy.
Fuji Media Holdings says it will consider issuing free stock acquisition rights if an investor buys up 20% or more of its voting shares.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 10, 2025
Fuji Media shares dip after company floats poison pill defense
The broadcaster said it's considering measures to stop one of Japan’s most prominent activist investors from gaining control of the firm.
The Government Pension Investment Fund suffered a loss in the January-March quarter as a global trade war due to higher U.S. tariffs hurt equities and the outlook for interest-rate cuts dragged down the dollar against the yen.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 4, 2025
GPIF logs $61 billion loss as weak dollar hits overseas assets
The pension fund incurred losses on all four of its asset classes in the January-March period, the first time this has occurred since July-September 2022.
The Tokyo Stock Exchange in October 2020
BUSINESS
Jul 4, 2025
Ex-Sumitomo Mitsui Trust official guilty of insider trading
Hajime Katayama, 55, was also fined ¥2 million and ordered to pay ¥61.4 million in additional penalties for his violation of the financial instruments and exchange law.
The Tokyo Stock Exchange wants more exchange-traded funds and a wider variety of such offerings.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 4, 2025
Forming an ETF just got easier in Japan with new white-label service
Japan Asset Management Platform handles many of the formalities and much of the necessary operations for fund managers.
Foreign investors bought Japanese stocks for 13 straight weeks to June 27, their longest buying spree since 2013, data from Japan Exchange Group showed.
BUSINESS
Jul 3, 2025
Foreign buying of Japan stocks hits longest spell since 2013
The persistent buying — despite lingering concerns over U.S. tariffs and still sluggish domestic consumption — likely points to diversification away from U.S. equities.
A monitor in Tokyo on Friday shows the 225-issue Nikkei average exceeding 40,000 for the first time since January.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jun 27, 2025
Nikkei hits 40,000 level as trade hopes fuel Japan stock rally
Exporters such as carmakers were among the biggest contributors to gains.

Longform

The byzantine process for converting a foreign driver’s license into a Japanese one entails mountains of paperwork and significant stamina — unless you're a lucky license holder from a country or region where these requirements are waived.
Driving in Japan isn’t hard. Getting the license is.