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July 12, 2026
 

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ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Japan’s corporate goods prices rose 7.1% in June from a year earlier, the Bank of Japan reported Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 10, 2026
Japan’s producer prices rise at fastest pace since early 2023
The measure of input prices for Japanese firms rose 7.1% in June from a year earlier, the Bank of Japan reported.
Some analysts have said that the Bank of Japan is not raising rates fast enough.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 9, 2026
Yields hit three-decade highs as BOJ behind-the-curve narrative debated
Some analysts argue that the central bank is not being overtaken by the market even as the 10-year yield crosses 2.9%.
Japanese summer travel budgets increased for the first time in three years to an average of ¥58,902 ($363) this year, according to a recent survey.
JAPAN
Jul 9, 2026
Japan’s summer vacation budgets rise for first time in three years
An online survey conducted in June found that higher prices and a weak yen were the main reasons among respondents for increasing their budgets.
A customer checks eyeglasses in a section featuring limited-edition eyeglasses available only at the Jins Shinjuku store in April.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 9, 2026
Shoppers splurge on specs in Japan as deflation-era mindset fades away
As inflation reshapes behavior, Japanese eyeglass company Jins is working to prove higher prices are justified by delivering better materials, sharper designs and improved quality.
The parliament building in Tokyo. Close attention to policy wording shows how sensitive the issue of possible government influence on Japan's central bank has become.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 8, 2026
Government tweaks phrasing on BOJ in draft policy plan
The draft of Japan’s economic and fiscal agenda adds a reference to inflation, calling for appropriate monetary policy that contributes to stable price increases.
Bank loans in Japan rose 6.3% in June from a year earlier, the strongest growth since August 2020, according to a Bank of Japan report released Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 8, 2026
Japan’s bank lending rises fastest since COVID-19, backing BOJ’s path
The figures reinforce the central bank’s assessment that financial conditions remain accommodative even after Gov. Kazuo Ueda’s board raised its benchmark interest rate last month.
Japan's nominal wages rose 3.2% in May from a year earlier, marking a fourth straight month of wage growth of at least 3%.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 7, 2026
Japan’s nominal wage rises top 3% again in longest streak since 1992
Employers are showing they are committed to raising pay despite difficulties related to the Middle East conflict that have disrupted supply chains and boosted inflation.
The weighted average amount of summer bonuses rose 1.88% from a year before to ¥1,008,706, thanks to robust corporate earnings and base salary hikes.
BUSINESS
Jul 2, 2026
Summer bonuses at major Japan firms top ¥1 million for first time
The weighted average amount of summer bonuses rose 1.88% from a year before to ¥1,008,706, thanks to robust corporate earnings and base salary hikes.
Increasing bankruptcies in Japan suggest the smaller firms that employ most of Japan’s workers are finding it difficult to withstand the yen’s prolonged weakness.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 2, 2026
First-half bankruptcies reach highest level since 2022 as weak yen takes toll
Data suggests smaller firms that employ most of Japan’s workers are finding it increasingly difficult to withstand the currency’s prolonged weakness.
The Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo. Confidence among large manufacturers rose to the highest level since 2018, supporting the BOJ’s stance to keep raising interest rates.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 1, 2026
Japan’s manufacturer mood improves to highest level since 2018
Inflation expectations climbed, supporting the Bank of Japan’s stance to keep raising interest rates.
The government kept its view that the economy is "recovering moderately,” signaling its expansion still has room to run.
BUSINESS
Jun 30, 2026
Japan nears longest postwar growth even as households struggle
The government kept its view that the economy is “recovering moderately,” signaling the expansion still has room to run.
Japan's industrial production in May climbed 0.5% from the previous month as manufacturers were able to cope with the fallout from the war in Iran.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 30, 2026
Japan’s factory output rises as Iran fallout stays manageable
The government says it can secure enough crude oil through March 2028 by cultivating alternative procurements to the Strait of Hormuz.
Sales at department stores in Japan climbed strongly from a year earlier, likely helped by robust tourist spending.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 29, 2026
Japan’s retail sales rise for third month on wage gains and subsidies
The 1.9% month-on-month advance was led by sales of vehicles, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
The consumer price index excluding fresh food for the Tokyo area, considered a leading indicator for nationwide price trends, rose 1.6% in June from a year earlier.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 26, 2026
Tokyo inflation picks up, keeping BOJ on track for further hike
The consumer price index excluding fresh food rose 1.6% in June from a year earlier in Japan’s capital.
Japan's core consumer prices, excluding fresh food, in May rose 1.4% from a year earlier, matching the lowest level since 2022.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 19, 2026
Japan’s inflation holds steady as subsidies restrain energy
Core consumer prices, excluding fresh food, rose 1.4% year on year in May, in line with economists’ expectations and matching the lowest level since 2022.
Revelers take a photo with a tourist after carrying a portable shrine during a Shinto festival in Tokyo's Asakusa district on May 17.
JAPAN
Jun 17, 2026
Visitors to Japan fell 3.6% in May
Japan saw visitors from South Korea, Taiwan and the United States hitting their respective highest levels for May.
The trade balance flipped to a ¥378.6 billion ($2.36 billion) deficit in May on an unadjusted basis, according to the Finance Ministry.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 17, 2026
Japan’s trade balance swings to deficit as yen inflates imports
The deficit suggests trade may weigh on growth in the second quarter, when economists largely expect a slowdown due to the impact of the war in Iran.
A stock index board in the Lujiazui financial district of Shanghai. The oil shock and the AI boom have revived inflationary pressures among factories in the world’s second-biggest economy.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 10, 2026
China’s inflation split widens as AI and war stir up factory prices
Years of weak demand and excessive supply have contributed to bruising competition among Chinese industrial firms that’s keeping a lid on consumer prices.
Corporate goods prices rose again in May, signaling stronger inflationary pressure across Japan’s supply chains as the war in Iran keeps energy prices elevated, with input prices up 0.9% from a month earlier, the Bank of Japan said Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 10, 2026
Japan’s producer prices jump again on elevated energy costs
The measure of input prices for Japanese firms rose 0.9% in May from a month earlier, and April’s increase was revised higher, the Bank of Japan says.
More than 70% of small and midsize companies said they have raised or plan to raise wages in fiscal 2026.
BUSINESS
Jun 8, 2026
Smaller firms in Japan raise pay by 4.29% in fiscal 2026
Wage growth expanded from 4.03% a year before, reflecting employers’ continued efforts to secure human resources amid rising inflation.
China’s demand for Soviet-style apartments shows limits to revival
Apartments built during a Soviet Union-inspired construction drive in the 1970s and 1980s tend to suffer from poor insulation and outdated plumbing, but they are seeing a revival in interest due to their attractive locations.
Japanese scientists identify neural mechanism that may explain why we dislike people
The aggressive mouse (left) used in the experiment and a mouse defending itself
Japanese payment processor’s collapse hits banks and restaurants
Zentoshin served around 200,000 shops, many of which rely on early payments to maintain cash flow, raising concerns over their financial stability following the disruption.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
Lenders seek $700 million after Japanese payments firm’s collapse
The financial failure of Osaka-based Zentoshin has left 63 creditors with claims totaling ¥115.16 billion, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.
Japan’s largest exhibition of women photographers rights a wrong in cultural history
Miwa Yanagi’s “Elevator Girl House” series skewers the superficiality of gender roles through staged images.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
‘Princess Mononoke’ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
The “Princess Mononoke” adaptation was created under Shochiku’s Super Kabuki initiative, a modern form of kabuki with more technology in staging and open to pop culture collaborations.
The beating heart inside ‘Human Vapor’
Different forms of love and connection form the emotional backbone of Netflix’s “Human Vapor,” says actor Shun Oguri, who plays troubled detective Kenji Okamoto.
Japan bets on character IP to drive global growth
Born on social media platforms in 2022, Opanchu Usagi has become a major hit, especially among Generation Z.

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