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July 12, 2026
 

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JAPANESE ECONOMY

Electronic boards display the foreign exchange rate of the yen against the U.S. dollar at a brokerage in Tokyo on Tuesday.
EDITORIALS
Jul 3, 2026
Little hope for a declining yen amid structural pressures
Ultimately, the value of the yen reflects faith in the Japanese economy’s long-term prospects.
Products at the Oshikatsu Expo in Tokyo
BUSINESS
Jul 3, 2026
Inside Japan’s $25 billion consumer market built on fan devotion
From collecting Hello Kitty goods to manga figurines, what was once considered a niche hobby has evolved into a fan-merchandising economy estimated to be worth ¥4.1 trillion.
Japanese companies issued ¥1 trillion ($6.2 billion) worth of convertible bonds in the first half, the highest amount since 2004, as rising interest rates boosted demand for cheaper financing.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 3, 2026
Japan’s convertible bonds regain favor as rates continue to rise
Japanese companies issued ¥1 trillion ($6.2 billion) worth of convertible bonds in the first half, the highest amount since 2004.
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.
Until recently, economists generally saw the Bank of Japan hiking rates about every six months, but now markets are pricing in a solid chance that another increase could come by October.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 2, 2026
Sinking yen and robust economy support BOJ case for earlier rate hike
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has indicated her preference for monetary easing, helping push the yen to its weakest level against the dollar since 1986.
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.
Traders see little long-term relief from the Japanese government’s repeated warnings that it will take bold action to stem the yen's decline.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 2, 2026
Traders plot worst-case scenario for yen if currency crisis hits
The yen sliding to a once-unthinkable ¥200 to the dollar level is now a risk — albeit an extreme one — for some investors.
Atsushi Mimura, Japan's vice finance minister for international affairs, during an interview in Tokyo on Wednesday
BUSINESS
Jul 1, 2026
Japan’s forex chief flags contact with U.S. and intervention impact
Mimura’s remarks indicate that he continues to see intervention as a useful tool to stem excessive moves in the currency market.
An android at the Humanoids Summit in Tokyo on May 28
JAPAN
Jul 1, 2026
Japan plans sovereign AI model and 10 million AI robots
The country will reportedly invest around $6 billion in the homemade AI model, which will be developed by Noetra, a consortium of firms including SoftBank and Sony.
Yasmin Baba, CTO of Amilis, wins the Grand Prize at the Pitch2Tokyo Grand Final on Feb. 19.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 1, 2026
Some startups see opportunity in an aging Japan
The demographic challenges faced by the country could create demand for products that help older people and support treatment.
The Hakuba Cross-Country Course in the village of Hakuba, Nagano Prefecture, in February. For a third year in a row, roadside land prices in the village have increased at the highest rate across Japan.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 1, 2026
Roadside land prices rise in popular Japanese tourist sites
Across the board, the prices of land facing major roads in Japan as of Jan. 1 went up by 2.9%, marking a fifth consecutive year of increases.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi hopes to break away from "Japan’s long-standing trend of underinvestment” by setting a target for growing the economy to a value of $6.8 trillion in nominal GDP by 2040.
JAPAN
Jul 1, 2026
Takaichi sets target for nominal GDP of $6.8 trillion in 2040
The projections are in line with Cabinet Office estimates based on the premise that the government’s growth strategy is successfully implemented over the next 14 years.
Japan spent ¥11.7 trillion ($73 billion) between late April and late May to prop up the weak yen.
BUSINESS
Jul 1, 2026
Why is the yen so weak and what can Japan do about it?
The yen has tumbled past a 40-year low against the U.S. dollar, prompting the Japanese government to vow “appropriate action at any time.”
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.
Electronic boards display the foreign exchange rate of the Japanese yen against the U.S. dollar at a foreign exchange brokerage in Tokyo on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 1, 2026
Yen’s slide puts market on lookout for Japan’s next red line
Strategists have increasingly pointed to ¥163 and beyond as the next levels to watch.
Ayano Sato in Tokyo on Tuesday
BUSINESS
Jun 30, 2026
Takaichi’s new BOJ board pick signals tame view on inflation
Ayano Sato begins her five-year term just two weeks after the BOJ raised its benchmark interest rate to the highest level in 31 years.
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.
Higher crude oil and naphtha prices have pushed up the costs of packaging and raw materials, leading to price increases mainly for processed foods, including instant noodles, and bread products.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 30, 2026
Japan to see price hikes for 2,566 food items in July
Higher crude oil and naphtha prices have pushed up the costs of packaging and raw materials, leading to price increases mainly for processed foods like instant noodles.
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.
Mizuho Financial Group and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group propelled foreign-currency bond sales by Japanese companies to a record.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 30, 2026
Mizuho and SMFG fuel record Japanese corporate bond sales overseas
The surge in issuance in overseas currencies is in part being fueled by the depreciating yen, which slid to its weakest level against the dollar since 1986 this week.
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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