Tag - inflation

 
Menu
Search
 
July 01, 2026
 

Today's print edition

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access

INFLATION

Government-stockpiled rice for sale at a supermarket in Tokyo last May
JAPAN
Apr 3, 2026
Rice prices in Japan drop for seventh straight week
The figure dipped below year-before levels, when prices climbed into the ¥4,000 range and government stockpiles began to be released.
A shopper browses the coffee aisle at a supermarket in Canada. The world's central bankers are trying to get a read on how people are navigating their finances through yet another energy shock.
BUSINESS / Economy / ANALYSIS
Apr 3, 2026
Central banks’ inflation mood puzzle: more judgment than science
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, central banks have ‌developed new tools to fill gaps in data about behavior, but measuring expectations remains more an art than an exact science.
A former Bank of Japan chief economist said the Iran war is increasing inflation risks, strengthening the case for a possible interest rate hike as early as this month.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 2, 2026
Former BOJ chief economist sees likelihood of April rate hike
Toshitaka Sekine, now an economics professor at Hitotsubashi University, thinks there are more upside risks for inflation.
The business sentiment index advanced in March to 17 from a revised 16 in the previous quarter, the Bank of Japan’s <i>tankan</i> business survey showed Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Apr 1, 2026
Japan’s manufacturer mood improves, supporting BOJ’s rate stance
The business sentiment index advanced in March to 17 from a revised 16 in the previous quarter, the BOJ’s tankan business survey showed Wednesday.
Consumer prices excluding fresh food rose 1.7% in the capital from a year earlier in March, according to the internal affairs ministry.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 31, 2026
Tokyo inflation cools for now as BOJ monitors Mideast impact
Consumer prices excluding fresh food rose 1.7% in the capital from a year earlier in March, marking the smallest increase since April 2024.
Fuel pumps at a Cosmo Oil gas station in Tokyo on March 16
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 29, 2026
One month on, Iran conflict fuels worries for Japanese firms and households
Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has driven up crude oil prices, hitting businesses such as farms, bathhouses and public transportation operators.
Shigeru Aizawa, head of employee benefits in the empowerment division at Tokyo-based Freee
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 27, 2026
Shadow raises pitched as option for cash-strapped Japanese companies
Benefits, discounts and freebies can increase compensation without triggering a big tax hit for employees and employers.
Japan’s core consumer prices, excluding fresh food, rose 1.6% year on year in February, the smallest increase since March 2022, the internal affairs ministry said Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 24, 2026
Japan’s inflation slips below BOJ’s target for the first time since 2022
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda said he isn’t ruling out an interest rate hike at the next meeting in April, citing the need to monitor both upside and downside risks to prices.
The rise in used condo prices in central Tokyo is stalling as investor demand for real estate slows.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 24, 2026
Used Tokyo condo price gains stalling as policies drag on demand
Average contract prices for used condos in bay-side neighborhoods such as Toyosu and Kachidoki decreased 0.6% in January from December, marking the first decline in five months.
A survey shows people in Japan plan to spend an average of ¥6,383 on cherry blossom viewing this year, down 13.8% from the previous year, amid consumer concern over inflation.
JAPAN
Mar 22, 2026
Average cherry blossom-viewing budget falls 13.8%
The survey also showed that about 10% of people plan to go to view cherry blossoms alone.
As China enters a new inflationary era, what’s clear is that the outcomes will vary across the economy.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 20, 2026
China finds dangerous cure for record deflation in war oil shock
Surging prices stemming from the conflict in Iran have put China on the cusp of exiting a record streak of deflation well ahead of schedule.
BOJ Gov. Kazuo Ueda speaks during a news conference in Tokyo on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 19, 2026
BOJ stands pat amid growing Middle East uncertainty
The decision to maintain its policy rate at 0.75% was widely expected by the market and central bank watchers.
A gas station in Tokyo on Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 18, 2026
Japan to roll out gasoline subsidies amid record-high prices
The national average retail prices of gasoline have exceeded ¥190 per liter.
Volunteers prepare daily meals for people at Souk el Tayeb in Beirut on Tuesday.
WORLD
Mar 18, 2026
45 million more face hunger threat from extended Mideast war, U.N. says
The war, now in its third week, and its shockwaves on food and fuel costs could price families out of staple foods far beyond the region, the U.N.’s World Food Program said.
Yamano Music's main store in the Ginza district of Tokyo’s Chuo Ward is the most expensive commercial land site in Japan, according to data released Tuesday.
BUSINESS
Mar 17, 2026
Japan’s average land price rises for fifth straight year
The average land price in Japan as of Jan. 1 rose 2.8% from a year earlier, up for the fifth straight year, the land ministry said Tuesday.
Real wages have been falling in Japan for a number of years despite high nominal increases.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 6, 2026
Unions seeking wage increases this year of almost 6%
The spring offensive results are likely to be in line with last year’s.
Some 466 unions affiliated with UA Zensen are seeking a pay raise of 6.46% for regular workers on a weighted average, according to a tally released Thursday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 5, 2026
Japanese labor union group sets more ambitious pay goal as BOJ watches
The push by UA Zensen, which represents unions across the retail, restaurants, materials and service sectors, follows other labor groups’ ambitious targets.
Consumer prices excluding fresh food in the Tokyo area rose 1.8% from a year earlier in February, the smallest gain since October 2024, indicating Japan’s price growth has entered a cooler phase.
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 27, 2026
Tokyo CPI falls below BOJ’s target, complicating rate hike message
The data poses a communication challenge for the Bank of Japan as it looks to proceed with interest rate hikes.
In the Tokyo metropolitan area, the average price of new condominiums in 2025 jumped 17.4% from the previous year to ¥91.82 million.
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 26, 2026
Japan’s average new condo price hit record high in 2025
The average price climbed 7.8% from the previous year to ¥65.56 million per unit, led largely by growth in the Tokyo area.
Former Bank of Japan Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda speaks during an interview in Tokyo on Tuesday. Kuroda has warned that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's spending plans could stoke an inflationary upswing.
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 25, 2026
Former BOJ chief Kuroda calls for rate hikes and tighter fiscal policy
Former Bank of Japan Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda has warned that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s spending plans could stoke an inflationary upswing.
Uruguay federation reportedly cancels charter flight after World Cup exit
Uruguay&#039;s Jose Maria Gimenez reacts after the team&#039;s loss against Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
India’s gig workers pay the price for exposure to New Delhi’s hazardous air
Rohit Kushwaha waits for a customer as he delivers his last parcel of the day, in New Delhi in January. His work as a delivery driver has helped pay the family’s bills, but has had a significant impact on his health.
Life inside Japan’s largest prison for women
Western-style rooms spanning the size of four tatami mats with hardwood floors, a toilet and soft mattresses on bed frames are designated for foreign nationals and those with health conditions at Tochigi Prison.
Yen hits 40-year low against the dollar, breaking ¥162 level
Japan&#039;s currency broke ¥162 to the dollar on Tuesday in Tokyo.
Japan’s fertility system offers few safe paths for same-sex couples
A Tokyo Pride parade participant holds a sign that says "we want to be a married couple, not a couple."
Life inside Japan’s largest prison for women
Western-style rooms spanning the size of four tatami mats with hardwood floors, a toilet and soft mattresses on bed frames are designated for foreign nationals and those with health conditions at Tochigi Prison.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
A French ship with close ties to Japan combines arts and sciences on the high seas
Romain Troublé, the executive director of Tara Ocean Foundation, speaks to visitors aboard the Tara during a rare port call in Tokyo in April.
In Kyushu’s far south, Senti.U sparks a culinary destination
Chef Yasuhiko Uchida was born in Saga Prefecture but has made his home in Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture, since 2012.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Digital marketer Netyear zeros in on generative AI
Digital marketer Netyear zeros in on generative AI

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER