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July 24, 2026
 

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Erica Yokoyama
Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama has cited proposals to promote investment in Japanese government bonds, including possibly making them eligible for the nation¡¯s tax-free Nippon Individual Savings Account program and easing inheritance tax rules.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 14, 2026
Japan finance chief floats JGBs in tax-free accounts and GPIF portfolio review
Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama¡¯s remarks were seen as part of stepped-up efforts to attract cash to domestic markets as the yen weakens.
Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama has encouraged households and pension funds to buy more yen-denominated assets.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 10, 2026
Yen gains after finance minister urges pension funds to invest more at home
Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama¡¯s remarks caught markets off guard, leading to a jump in the yen and a drop in bond yields.
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.
Workers at 5,368 companies affiliated with Rengo have secured an average wage increase of 5.01%, according to the group¡¯s final tally released Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 3, 2026
Japan¡¯s 2026 wage talks result in third year of gains above 5%
Workers at 5,368 companies affiliated with Rengo, the country¡¯s largest labor union group, have secured an average wage increase of 5.01%.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Industrial espionage, chip smuggling and drug trafficking are exposing Japan's growing economic security vulnerabilities.
BUSINESS / FOCUS
Jun 29, 2026
Chinese spies and smuggled drugs fuel Takaichi¡¯s security push
Across a range of industries, Japan¡¯s economic-security vulnerabilities have been on display in a slew of recent incidents.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a news conference in Tokyo in April
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Jun 25, 2026
Japan unveils multiyear framework as part of budget reform
The mechanism is expected to start next fiscal year and will be used to fund measures including investments in economic security and crisis preparedness.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi aims to put her stamp on Japan¡¯s growth strategy as technological change and geopolitical tensions reshape economic priorities.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 24, 2026
Japan unveils $2.3 trillion investment plan for next 14 years
The roadmap marks a key step in Takaichi¡¯s effort to put her stamp on Japan¡¯s growth strategy as technological change and geopolitical tensions reshape economic priorities.
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.
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.
The pharmaceutical industry is among the most strained sectors, with profits squeezed by drug price cuts and rising costs amid Middle East tensions, according to Shunji Horitani, president of the Japanese Federation of Energy and Chemistry Workers¡¯ Unions.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 10, 2026
Wage gains at Japan¡¯s smaller firms at risk as 51³Ô¹ÏÍø drags on
Many of such companies lack the pricing power to fully pass rising costs on to customers because of intense competition and entrenched business practices.
Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama says Japan is currently undergoing the greatest budgetary reform process since the end of World War II.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 9, 2026
Katayama says Japan undergoing biggest budget reform since 1945
The government plans to incorporate as much spending for one year as possible into the initial budget rather than rely on additional funding via supplementary packages.
Vice Finance Minister for International Affairs Atsushi Mimura speaks to reporters in Tokyo on May 1 following reports of Japan's possible intervention in the currency market.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jun 5, 2026
Japan likely sold Treasurys to fund yen intervention
Treasury sales may not go down well in Washington where officials have become increasingly focused on the stability of the U.S. government bond market.
Japan¡¯s real wages have risen 1.9% from a year earlier, extending gains to a fourth month and reinforcing expectations for another Bank of Japan rate hike.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 5, 2026
Japan¡¯s real wages rise for fourth month, backing BOJ hike
Inflation-adjusted wages rose 1.9% from a year earlier, accelerating from a revised 1.4% gain in the previous month, the labor ministry reported Friday.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi¡¯s Cabinet has endorsed a ?3.1 trillion extra budget to fund measures meant to cushion households from inflation tied to Middle East turbulence.
BUSINESS
Jun 3, 2026
Japan unveils ?3.1 trillion extra budget to cushion Mideast impact
While the government has yet to specify the usage of that fund, it is expected to be used initially to cap costs for gasoline.
Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama's comments on the yen came after the Finance Ministry disclosed monthly intervention data on Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 2, 2026
Katayama restates readiness to act on yen after data shows record intervention
Ministry figures released Friday show that Japan spent ?11.73 trillion supporting the yen between April 28 and May 27, in a record for a monthlong period.
Capital expenditure excluding software fell 3.5% from the previous quarter in the three months through March, according to the Finance Ministry.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 1, 2026
Japan¡¯s firms cut spending over Iran stress despite record profits
Capital expenditure excluding software fell 3.5% from the previous quarter in the three months through March, the Finance Ministry reported Monday.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Japan weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role
Iranian drones are displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13, 2025.U.S. officials have acknowledged that Russia has ?provided targeting ?and other support for Iran in its drone strikes on U.S. targets in the Persian Gulf region.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.
Summer has arrived in Japan and so have hot sleepless nights
Amid the heat and humidity in Japan, a good night¡¯s sleep is growing increasingly elusive without the heavy use of air conditioning.
Maya Ongaku¡¯s DIY dream is getting bigger
The members of Maya Ongaku ¡ª (from left) Tsutomu Sonoda, Shoei Ikeda and Ryota Takano ¡ª grew up on the Shonan Coast south of Tokyo and have been friends since their school days.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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