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July 01, 2026
 

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INFLATION

A stock board shows major gains by the Nikkei 225, in Tokyo on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jan 17, 2026
‘Takaichi trade’ faces risks from inflation, yen slump and yield jump
While Japan’s equity benchmarks are repeating a familiar pattern of rallying ahead of Lower House elections, further gains may depend on details of Takaichi’s spending plans.
The most popular timing for the next hike is July, by a wide margin, with 48% of economists picking that month, according to the Bloomberg’s survey of 52 economists.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 16, 2026
BOJ watchers see next rate hike by July with yen as the X factor
All the respondents to a survey predicted policymakers will keep the benchmark rate unchanged at the next BOJ gathering this month, with the most popular timing being July.
Price increases for Tokyo taxis come amid a shortage of taxi drivers around the nation, which has been caused by the aging and retirement of drivers and a lack of people newly entering the industry.
BUSINESS
Jan 15, 2026
Price hike eyed for Tokyo taxis
The transportation ministry plans to shorten the distance that passengers can ride taxis with the ¥500 base fare.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi delivers her first policy speech in parliament in Tokyo on Oct. 24.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 14, 2026
Takaichi to roll the dice on risky, but potentially rewarding, snap election
Calling a snap election during the next session of parliament could prove to be a double-edged sword for the prime minister.
In the week ended last Sunday, the average price of rice sold at about 1,000 supermarkets across Japan rose by ¥93 from the previous week to ¥4,416 per 5 kilograms, according to agriculture ministry data.
BUSINESS
Jan 10, 2026
Japan’s average rice price hit new record high
In the week ended last Sunday, the average price of rice sold at about 1,000 supermarkets across Japan rose by ¥93 from the previous week to ¥4,416 per 5 kilograms.
The Bank of Japan's headquarters in Tokyo
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 9, 2026
BOJ indicates it’s eyeing more rate hikes with regional report
Most BOJ watchers expect the pace of rate hikes to be once in every six months or so.
2026 is shaping up as a year of competing forces for Japan, with strong underlying momentum and reform potential outweighed by the risks from inflation, geopolitics and policy missteps if leadership does not act decisively.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 8, 2026
The top 10 surprises for the Year of the Fire Horse
For 2026, the only certainty is that this year of the Fire Horse will be shaped both by existing trends that evolve and genuine surprises.
Keidanren Chairman Yoshinobu Tsutsui (left), Ken Kobayashi (center), head of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Keizai Doyukai Chairman Akio Yamaguchi at a news conference in Tokyo on Tuesday
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 7, 2026
Japanese business leaders positive about continuing wage hikes
One of the key challenges in upcoming negotiations is to extend the trend of significant wage increases beyond large companies.
A screen displays Japan's 10-year government bonds (left) and the rate of the yen against the dollar outside a securities firm in Tokyo on Monday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 6, 2026
Japan’s 10-year bond sale draws investor demand on high yields
Japanese government bond yields have recently risen to around multi-decade highs as investors consider the Bank of Japan’s rate-hike path.
A customer looks at foods displayed for sale at a Lawson convenience store in Tokyo.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 2, 2026
Japan retailers racing to offer low-priced goods amid inflation
Companies are making efforts to keep the prices of their merchandise low by using cheap materials and ingredients.
People walk past closed shops following protests over a plunge in the Iranian currency's value in Tehran on Tuesday.
WORLD
Jan 2, 2026
Fresh clashes kill six in Iran cost-of-living protests
The protests began on Sunday in Tehran, where shopkeepers went on strike over high prices and economic stagnation, and have since spread to other parts of the country.
People walk past closed shops following protests over a plunge in the currency's value, in the Tehran Grand Bazaar in the Iranian capital on Tuesday.
WORLD
Dec 31, 2025
Students join Iran demonstrations after shopkeepers protest
The student action came after Monday’s protests in Tehran by shop-owners as the Iranian rial has dropped against the dollar and other world currencies, forcing up import prices.
Following the release of minutes of the Federal Reserve's December meeting, the likelihood of a January cut based on federal funds futures contracts dropped slightly to about 15%.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 31, 2025
Fed minutes show most officials expect additional rate cuts
The officials remain divided over when and how far to cut.
The Bank of Japan’s headquarters in Tokyo. The central bank on Dec. 19 raised its policy rate to 0.75%, the highest since 1995.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 29, 2025
Summary of BOJ’s December meeting hints of further rate hikes
Some members of the central bank’s board signaled that Japan’s real interest rate remains very low.
Farm minister Norikazu Suzuki stresses the need to secure demand for rice first, including foreign demand, and then promote production.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Dec 28, 2025
Japan’s rice policy at crossroads amid output shift and high prices
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s policy is to keep production in line with demand, reversing her predecessor’s approach.
Around 76% of young people saw an increase in their monthly food spending, with some reducing the number of meals they eat to cut costs.
JAPAN / Society
Dec 27, 2025
Many young people in Japan struggling with rising food costs, survey finds
Around 76% of young people saw an increase in their monthly food spending, with some reducing the number of meals they eat to cut costs.
Consumer prices in Tokyo, excluding fresh food, rose 2.3% in December from a year earlier, slowing from 2.8% in November, the internal affairs ministry said Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 26, 2025
Yen weakens as Tokyo inflation cools more than expected
Consumer prices excluding fresh food in the capital rose 2.3% in December from a year earlier, slowing sharply from 2.8% in the previous month.
Asia’s economic growth in 2025 was sluggish, central banks acted cautiously amid low inflation and political pressures and the full impact of U.S. tariffs and policy choices will become clearer in 2026.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 25, 2025
Easy money defined Asia in 2025. It gets harder now.
If predictions are hazardous at the best of times, they are more fraught today.
The Bank of Japan should take a cautious approach to raising interest rates further, a former BOJ policy board member has said.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 25, 2025
BOJ needs caution on rates during growth push, ex-official says
The former board member said the government should fully utilize fiscal, monetary and tax policy to stimulate demand and realize a “high pressure” economy.
Japan’s finance and health ministers agreed to a 2.22% hike in medical service fees for fiscal 2026, the first in 12 years.
JAPAN
Dec 24, 2025
Japanese ministers agree to raise medical service fees
The core portion of fees will be raised by 3% or more for the first time in 30 years, a step designed to help hospitals cope with rising prices and raise wages for medical workers.
Uruguay federation reportedly cancels charter flight after World Cup exit
Uruguay's Jose Maria Gimenez reacts after the team'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'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.

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One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
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