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July 24, 2026
 

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Kazuaki Nagata

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Kazuaki Nagata
The government could prop up the yen at any moment, though its signaling is hard to read.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 22, 2026
Intervention is the word after yen moves beyond ?163 and sits there
Japan¡¯s currency is at its weakest point against the dollar in four decades and is down one-third over five years.
The Cabinet of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi approved the government's annual economic and fiscal policy blueprint on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 21, 2026
Cabinet approves Japan economic blueprint with BOJ independence stressed
A line in a draft of the blueprint that had suggested a weakening of central bank autonomy has been rewritten in the final version.
The administration has walked back a line in a draft document that suggested efforts might be made to influence monetary policy.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 13, 2026
Rush to reassure on BOJ independence after bonds and yen signal concern
A line from a draft policy document caused a shock and led to a quick edit and series of clarifying statements.
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%.
Toru Miyanaga, Suntory chief strategy officer, notes that the demand for self-care products will likely grow.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 7, 2026
Suntory sees opportunity in the OTC medicine business
The drinks maker is acquiring Daiichi Sankyo Healthcare and already has a health foods subsidiary.
Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama has issued verbal warnings recently using the same language and the same tone, saying authorities ¡°will take appropriate action at any time, as necessary.¡±
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 6, 2026
Japan might be giving the currency market the silent treatment
Officials are saying less than they did before to defend the yen, and when they do speak, they opt for vague and relatively weak statements.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi might take a more pragmatic approach in pushing up the lowest wages in Japan.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 2, 2026
Government signals flexibility on ?1,500 minimum wage target
Its annual policy guidelines indicate the much-discussed goal could be reached early next decade rather than by the end of this decade.
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.
Japan's currency broke ?162 to the dollar on Tuesday in Tokyo.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jun 30, 2026
Yen hits 40-year low against the dollar, breaking ?162 level
The market remains skeptical about the effectiveness of government efforts to prop up the yen, and pressure on the currency has been steady.
The yen has been trading well within intervention territory for about a week.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jun 26, 2026
Yen¡¯s decline makes perfect sense to some analysts
They have started to wonder whether there is really much at all holding the currency up.
Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama attends a budget committee session in April.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jun 23, 2026
Katayama-Bessent call pulls yen back as it approaches four-decade low
The currency strengthened so fast that some traders suspected that intervention was underway.
The yen is near 39-year lows again and has been trading above ?160 to the dollar for about a week.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 22, 2026
Yen continues to test fresh lows as Nikkei 225 hits new highs
Verbal intervention in the currency market has been more tempered than in the past.
The yen traded above the ?161-to-the-dollar mark all day Friday in Tokyo.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jun 19, 2026
Yen nears four-decade low, and Katayama issues warning
The finance minister¡¯s comments were not as strong as those made in April before intervention.
The Nikkei 225 stock average broke 71,000 for the first time on Thursday while the yen remained weak.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jun 18, 2026
Yen hits 23-month low and Nikkei 225 breaks 71,000 for first time
Japan¡¯s currency is now well within the range considered by many investors to be the red line for intervention.
The Bank of Japan made its first move since the end of 2025 on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jun 16, 2026
Bank of Japan takes rates to 1%, the highest level since 1995
Inflation and the weak yen forced its hand and made it difficult to wait and see any longer.
A consumption tax cut on groceries is intended to help households struggling to make ends meet.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 12, 2026
Consumption tax cut on groceries could do more harm than good
It could lead to less confidence in Japan¡¯s fiscal state, a weaker yen, higher rates and slower economic growth.
The Bank of Japan last raised rates in December 2025.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 11, 2026
Bank of Japan rate hike a ¡®done deal¡¯ given inflation and weak yen
With markets worried the BOJ might be falling behind the curve, the bank is increasingly compelled to act.
The yen is back above ?160 to the dollar, considered by some investors to be a red line for Japanese authorities.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jun 8, 2026
Yen lingers above ?160 to the dollar ahead of BOJ meeting
Japan¡¯s currency lost all the gains from the last intervention in about a month.
With Anthropic's Claude Mythos, financial institutions will be able to rapidly detect vulnerabilities in their systems and fix them.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jun 3, 2026
Japanese government and banks granted access to Claude Mythos
The access could help the government and the nation¡¯s megabanks shore up any cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
The yen has remained weak since the last government intervention a month ago.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jun 3, 2026
Yen back at ?160 to the dollar about a month after massive intervention
The currency is now near the level that some traders believe is the red line for the government and will lead to another major effort to prop up the currency.
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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